This catalogue was published on the occasion of the exhibition “Saint Sebastian. A Splendid Readiness for Death”, Kunsthalle Wein, 2003/2004.
The cultural-historical center of the book "Saint Sebastian. A Splendid Readiness For Death", is formed by Gabriele D’Annunzio’s "Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian. A Mystery in Five Acts". The book is similary arranged into five thematic focal points: Sebastian is seen as the "exemplary sufferer" (Susan Sontag), the multifarious icon of the history of civilisation- as-such; also as Sebastian the saint, who attracts misfortune upon himself, in order to avert it from others; Sebastian as the fetish of erotic subcultures, and the vamp and dandy, whose beauty only blossoms in its full splendour when caught in the throes of excruciating agony. However, Saint Sebastian is also brought up to date in "Saint Sebastian. A Splendid Readiness For Death" as the great ecstatician of art history.
Artists featured: Ron Athey, Louise Bourgeois, Chris Burden, Francesco Clemente, Bavo Defurne, Kiby Dick und Bob Flanagan, Cerith Wyn Evans, Eikoh Hosoe, Derek Jarman, Adi Nes, Luigi Ontani, Catherine Opie, Ana Maria Pacheco, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Paul Schrader, Kishin Shinoyama, Fiona Tan, Wolfgang Tillmans, Joel-Peter Witkin und David Wojnarowicz
Cover photo by Eikoh Hosoe.
Curators: Gerald Matt and Wolfgang Fetz
Curatorial Assistance: Angela Steif
Production: Simone Sentall
Hardback
First Edition
Published 2003
Published by KUNSTHALLE wein Kerber Verlag
