2nd Action c. 1965 - 1979

Editor: This is Rudolf Schwarzkogler's, "2nd Action." It's haunting. The bandages and surgical tools are very stark. What stands out to you about the materials and the process implied here? Curator: The clinical setting, the implements, the suggestion of a body undergoing a procedure… it all speaks to the socio-political context of post-war Vienna, grappling with trauma and control through these sterile means. What does the photographic process itself, the choices of the artist around what to show and not show, convey about our relationship with these materials and actions? Editor: It seems like Schwarzkogler wanted us to confront the tools and materials involved in these actions. It makes me consider the consumerist nature of modern medicine. Thank you. Curator: Indeed, thinking about it in that way enriches the experience.