Obedience and Revolt
Haydngasse 15, 1060 Vienna
Exhibition dates: February 6 - March 7, 2026
Opening hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 3 pm - 6 pm.
"Those who do not move do not feel their chains." (Heiner Müller)
The Duden dictionary defines "obedience" as "subordination to the will of an authority"; "revolt" as "rebellion directed against certain conditions." Usually, there is no clear either/or dichotomy. Obedience and revolt operate simultaneously, side by side.
What are the moments when we are completely unaware that we are obeying? When, out of numbness or lack of awareness, we do not move, do not feel our chains? And consequently, the question "Does it have to be this way?" never arises.
When obedience goes unnoticed and is called "normality." The works by Pia Weissinger and Nikita Sukhov on display in "Obedience and Revolt" invite reflection on functioning, going with the flow, and this (lack of) awareness. They examine power and submission in everyday life: in relationships, at work, in cafés. And: moments when people reach their breaking point.
Curated by Heribert Michlmayer and Magdalena Burghart
Nikita Sukhov
Nikita Sukhov
"My pictures show our society."
With irony and art historical references, and a deliberately raw, expressive visual language, Nikita Sukhov addresses social hierarchies and supposed "normality." Take, for example, "Lobster Mining." Here, women with strong arms dig for lobsters. They work with focused intensity, dressed in dresses and high heels. As they mine and exploit, a door stands open behind them—leading outside. Do they see the door? Do they leave the mine?
The lobster appears in art history both as a symbol of wealth and as a sinister creature. In Hieronymus Bosch's work, for example, it is depicted as part of Hell. Throughout art history, the lobster represents both status and threat.
In "The Rose Eaters," roses are devoured. Flowers that we usually give as gifts to show love are eaten here. Sukhov developed the work based on van Gogh's "Potato Eaters." Instead of hungering for food, the rose eaters hunger for affection.
Nikita Sukhov lives and works in Vienna. Born in 1994 in Kazan (Russia), he studied art history and is in Daniel Richter's class at the Academy of Fine Arts.
Pia Weissinger
The artist explores these tipping points: people who have obeyed and functioned for a long time—until something goes awry. Emotions erupt, control is lost; violence and self-harm take over. In her work, revolt is not a heroic act, but an immediate, uncontrolled, destructive reaction.
Pia Weissinger is interested in power dynamics in everyday life: in intimate relationships or at the workplace. How long do people remain subservient? When does a victim become a perpetrator? In "Beauty Session," the woman lies relaxed on a sofa. Evening gown, face mask, cucumber slices—the room around her is in chaos. A fetus floats in the aquarium.
The woman in "God Shave the Queen" is naked. She has shaved her entire body and head. Hairless and bald, she crouches on a plastic chair. What drove her to do this? Pia Weissinger lives and works in Vienna. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in 2025 in Daniel Richter's class.
