Thomas Geiger’s performance consists of an imaginary conversation with the bust of the famed patriotic poet and medical doctor Hans Kloepfer. Geiger asks Kloepfer’s opinion about the current heated discussions revolving around his person, in which he is a Nazi collaborator for some and an advocate of regional patriotism for others. Kloepfer thus becomes another controversial figure in Geiger’s ongoing performance series Bust Talks, a practice based on the assumption that busts are not just cold and soulless pieces of bronze, stone, or wood, but potential dialogue partners whose experiences and views might have a new impact in the present.

Thomas Geiger (1983, Lörrach, Germany) is an artist whose performances and sculptures examine the intersection of public and private spaces. He questions the notions of public art and art institution through fragmentary, performative formats that invite audience participation and collaboration. Geiger lives in Vienna.