Arch of Hysteria – Between Madness and Ecstasy

The "grande arc" or "arc de cercle" (Arch of Hysteria), with its ambivalence of loss of control and domination, is a seductive motif that has a long tradition in the history of art and culture. It is found in representations of dance and acrobatics, but also describes physical or mental illness: The hyperextended (female) body expresses ecstatic rapture or even a psychotic disorder. In dance, on the other hand, it stands for virtuoso body control and expressiveness. With "Arch of Hysteria" the Museum der Moderne, Salzburg, dedicates an exhibition to this powerful motif and shows works of art from the last 100 years from the most diverse contexts and thus explores the variety of expressive possibilities inherent in the pose - up to its transformation into abstract, yet expressive and therefore unmistakable forms. The book and exhibition illuminate the (art) historical roots of the motif as well as current updates in painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video, and performance art. Among the protagonists are Denis Darzacq, Max Ernst, Georg Herold, Gustav Klimt, Alfred Kubin, Auguste Rodin, but also Alexandra Bircken, Louise Bourgeois, Ronit Porat, Barbis Ruder, Charlotte Rudolph, Valerie Schmidt and VALIE EXPORT; many of the works were created especially for the show and are reproduced in this book for the first time.

Exhibition catalog, edited by Harald Krejci, Lena Nievers, Kerstin Stremmel
Texts (German/English) by Christine von Braun, Mariama Diagne, Esther Freud, Harald Krejci, Lena Nievers, Kerstin Stremmel, Paul Verhaeghe
192 pages with 216 colored illustrations
Format 22 x 16.8 cm, softcover with flaps

ISBN 978-3-86442-419-9