Nigel Rolfe (UK/IE) is considered one of the pioneering artists of performance art and has been one of its most active and prominent practitioners since the 1970s. From his early works, which he described as “Sculptures in Motion,” to politically engaged performances in the 1980s, movements into photography, drawing, video and sound, as well as recent outdoor performances, he has profoundly shaped the history of performance art. His work has been exhibited in museums, biennials, and retrospectives around the world. Grounded in the belief that all art-making is a live and vital engagement, Rolfe’s performances involve interactions with raw materials, natural elements such as water, fire, air, and earth, as well as environments, in what he calls “works made live”.
Paula Fitzsimons is an Irish visual artist using modes of live performance art, photography, moving image, sound, text and expanded drawing technique to make time-based works of art. She works with ephemeral, natural and found materials. Her art practice is informed by movements such as Fluxus, Gutai and Arte Povera, in a world of things, to convene and orchestrate a weave of material crisis as an art practice without edges.
Parole of an Apparition features works by Michele Bernabei, Robert di Pauli Gruber, Imants Daksis, Kevin Daryl Ferdinandus, Paula Fitzsimons, Peter Fritzenwallner, Laura Hatting, Anna Hofbauer, Mersedes Margoit, Markus Redl, Lissie Rettenwander, Nigel Rolfe, and Céline Struger.
The programme will also include an artist talk with Andreas Spiegl from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. For artist biographies, see: www.paroleofanapparition.com/artists
PROGRAM:
Part 1: Wednesday, 08.10.2025, 18:00-23:00 (Doors 18:00, Start 18:30)
Venue: Schloss Neugebäude, Otmar-Brix-Gasse 1, 1110 Vienna
Performances: lmants Daksis, Paula Fitzsimons, Peter Fritzenwallner, Lissie Rettenwander, Nigel Rolfe
Artwork: Kevin Daryl Ferdinandus, Anna Hofbauer, Markus Redl, Celine Struger
Part 2: Thursday, 09.10.2025, 20:00-23:00
Venue: Venster99, Gürtelbogen 99, 1090 Vienna
GNEVER, lmants Daksis & Mersedes Margoit
Part 3: Saturday, 11.10.2025, 12:00-13:00
Venue: Votivkirche, Rooseveltplatz, 1090 Vienna
Performances: Paula Fitzsimons, Nigel Rolfe
Part 4: Tuesday, 14.10.2025, 18:30-22:00 (Doors 18:30, Start 19:00)
Venue: Haus der Industrie, Großer Festsaal, Schwarzenbergplatz 4, 1030 Vienna
Performances: Michele Bernabei & Robert di Pauli Gruber, Paula Fitzsimons & Nigel Rolfe
Talk with Andreas Spiegl (Academy of Fine Arts Vienna)
Parole of an Apparition with Nigel Rolfe
8 – 14 October 2025
www.paroleofanapparition.com
Parole of an Apparition is presented by gottrekorder – association of artists and HM Communication / Hema Makwana.
Born on the Isle of Wight, Nigel Rolfe lives and works in Dublin. His work, which spans live performance, photography and sound, has received international acclaim and has been exhibited or performed in venues such as the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Franklin Furnace in New York and the Institute for Contemporary Art Gallery in London, throughout Europe, North and South America and Asia. Retrospectives of his work have been held at the Irish Museum Of Modern Art in Dublin, the Musee D’Art Moderne de la Ville De Paris and the Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing. He has exhibited in Biennales in Dublin, Paris, Sao Paulo, Busan, Gwangju and Venice and presented in numerous international art fairs. Galleries in Dublin, Paris and New York represent his work. www.nigelrolfe.net
Paula Fitzsimons is an Irish visual artist utilizing modes of live performance art, photography, moving image, sound, text and expanded drawing technique to make time-based works of art. She works with ephemeral, natural and found materials such as foam, dust and orchids. Her art practice is informed by movements such as FLUXUS, GUTAI and ARTE POVERA, in a world of things, to convene and orchestrate a weave of material crisis as an art practice without edges. Paula Fitzsimons was awarded a PhD at the Royal College of Art London for her practice-based work titled ‘Up Against the Wall: A Journey in Culture, from Resistant to Dynamic, Encountering The Limit in the Process’ in 2023. Paula has exhibited works in Ireland, Britain, Italy, France, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Japan, South Korea and Dubai. www.paulafitzsimons.com
gottrekorder e.v. is an international association of artists based in Graz and Vienna (Austria) founded in 2002. Since 2015, gottrekorder has curated numerous art exhibitions and collaborative projects including visual arts, sound, music, literature, installation and performance, with both Austrian and international artists. www.gottrekorder.com, www.instagram.com/gottrekorder
HM Communication was founded by Hema Makwana and is based in Vienna/Austria. For the past fifteen-plus years, Hema and her team have been trusted and close advisors to collectors providing personal and bespoke collection management services, and working directly with clients on the implementation of ideas primarily in the DACH region and the UK. Independently, HM Communication is also a supportive companion for contemporary artists and creatives from various fields. Hema brings exceptional ideas to life by guiding and assisting the artists & creatives in expanding their careers. www.hmcommunication.eu, www.instagram.com/_hm_communication
