Cosinus Alpha 5 1964

Otto Muehl made this photograph, Cosinus Alpha 5, as part of his actions with the Viennese Action Group, using his own body and those of others. The black and white palette gives it a stark feel, like an old documentary, but there is nothing straightforward about what we are seeing. The bodies are close, almost piled on top of each other on the surface of a dirty bed. What I find really compelling is the tension between the apparent violence of the scene and the studied composition, which makes me think of Man Ray's surrealist photography. Look at the expression of the person lying on the bed. Is it pain, or something else? It's this kind of ambiguity that gives the photograph its power. The work of Carolee Schneemann comes to mind. Like her, Muehl explored the body as a site of experimentation, pushing boundaries and questioning social norms. This is not easy viewing, but it's a reminder that art can be a space for challenging and re-thinking the world around us.