August Walla

August Walla was born in 1936 in Klosterneuburg. From an early age, he developed his "privatemythological universe," which he expressed on a variety of surfaces – from tablecloths to television screens. When he moved into the House of Artists in Maria Gugging in 1983, he began to design his personal living space. This universe is populated by a pantheon of gods, each with its own distinct function.

With a unique style, Walla created a highly complex pantheon and language, thus crafting his own reality. Symbols and written words are of utmost importance to him, often consisting of foreign or distorted vocabulary.

Walla consistently works with dualisms such as good and evil, or man and woman. Gender identity plays a central role in the artist’s work: During World War II, he identifies as a "Nazi girl," later – during the Soviet occupation – being "reoperated" into a "Russian boy." With inscriptions like "KOSESNAMEN RUSSSKO WALLA. S." or "ADOLFE," he references his gender identity in his works.

In 2026, the 25th anniversary of his passing will be commemorated – and at the same time, the artist would have celebrated his 90th birthday this year.

Some of August Wallas' major works from the Zambo collection are displayed alongside Arnulf Rainer’s finger paintings in the current exhibition. In his hand, finger, and foot painting, Rainer eliminates the brush that traditionally mediates between the artist's hand and the painting surface. This creates an immediacy of expression that, for Rainer, is also reflected in works of Art Brut.