Hans Schabus

Hans Schabus is a conceptual artist known for his site-specific sculptures, installations, and performances that intervene with space in surprising ways. For the 2005 Venice Biennale, Schabus transformed the Austrian Pavilion into a massive artificial mountain, appraising preconceived ideas about nature, culture, and the role of art.

Schabus's travel pieces put an absurdist spin on the romantic idea of the voyage as a venue for transformation and discovery. His interest in new, unexplored territories have taken him from the Wild West to old world sewer systems. In one performance, the artist sailed through the labyrinthine sewers of Vienna in a collapsible sailboat. In another, Schabus —tongue firmly implanted in cheek — traveled the western United States in a mobile home, following a roadmap defined by the shape of an unfolded pack of beer. Schabus has had solo shows throughout Europe including Secession in Vienna, Kasseler Kunstverein in Kassel, and the Barbican Art Gallery in London.