“Sweat and Blood” explores themes of inner emigration — personal alienation from oppressive systems — amid sensory overload and mental escapism, blending social critique and personal trauma, while confronting today’s normalization of war through subtle acts of withdrawal rather than confrontation.
Drawing from actionism’s romanticized exploration of trauma, this work shifts focus to the modern response to horror: not radical shock but an aestheticized, introspective escapism. It critiques the sanitized, selective engagement with war, violence and discrimination that dominates today’s information space.
December 06, 6:00 pm: Opening & Artist Talk
December 07, 7:00 pm: Music Performance
December 08, 6:00 pm: Performance
Book in person, or online
“Sweat and Blood” is a new multidisciplinary art project by Diana Burkot (member of the Pussy Riot collective for over 10 years, member of the Riot Days Show by Pussy Riot for 5 years) presented in different forms, one of which is a music album and live show.
Blending atmospheric sound design with emotionally charged vocals, poetry, performance and personal narratives, this show delves into themes of inner exile / emigration, trauma, and resistance against social and political repression.
Each song or narrative is named for its protagonist, illuminating individuals who navigate restrictions on freedom, isolation, and societal constraints—shedding light on lives that reflect broader social issues.
Throughout the performance, these stories are brought to life by the project’s creator, Diana Burkot in collaboration with the characters of the songs, whose artistic interpretation transforms personal experiences into a powerful statement on human rights, identity, and inner strength.
In the mythology of “Sweat and Blood”, characters with unique fates drive the project’s narrative, using personal stories to critique society and politics.
But central to each story is not only people but a red something — a “source” that embodies an animistic force with “shifting behavior”, interacting with each character’s essence to reveal hidden truths.
The source transcends human-made notations or systems, but striving exposes deep desires, fears and contradictions, the human quest for meaning, themes of faith, violence, and hope.
The performance ‘Sweat and Blood’ is an act of protest from a feminist perspective, intended to express powerlessness in the face of various forms of violence, but above all political violence. The work plays with the intersections of power, war, vulnerability and collective guilt and can be read as a clear anti-war statement.
Diana Burkot
photo © Ekaterina Frolova
Copyright 2024 WA-M Wiener Aktionismus Museum GmbH
Copyright 2024 WA-M Wiener Aktionismus Museum GmbH
15.03.2024 – 31.01.2025
15.03.2024 – 31.01.2025
Vielen Dank
fur Ihr Interesse
am WAM
Freundeskreis.
Meeting point: Foyer / Entrance
The event on 06.12. and 08.12.2024 are free of charge
Ticket Music Performance 07.12.2024: 25,00 €, p. P.
Admission 10,00 €
Concession 5,00 €
Group size: from 5 to max. 25 people
Admission: 7,50 € (p.P.)
Copyright 2024 WA-M Wiener Aktionismus Museum GmbH
Copyright 2024 WA-M Wiener Aktionismus Museum GmbH
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Ihre Mitgliedschaft gilt ab dem Zeitpunkt der Anmeldung bis 31.12.2025 und verlängert sich automatisch, wenn nicht bis zum 30. November des laufenden Jahres schriftlich der Vereinsaustritt erklärt wurde. Bei Mitgliedschaften, die im Jahr 2024 angemeldet wurden, fallen für das aktuelle Jahr keine Kosten an. Der erste Jahresmitgliedsbeitrag wird erst im Jahr 2025 (voraussichtlich Juni) per Rechnung vorgeschrieben
Copyright 2024 WA-M Wiener Aktionismus Museum GmbH
Copyright 2024 WA-M Wiener Aktionismus Museum GmbH
Meeting point: Foyer / Entrance
The event is free of charge.
Admission 10,00 €
Concession 5,00 €
Group size: from 5 to max. 25 people
Admission: 7,50 € (p.P.)
Copyright 2024 WA-M Wiener Aktionismus Museum GmbH
Copyright 2024 WA-M Wiener Aktionismus Museum GmbH
Meeting point: Foyer / Entrance
Duration of the tour: 75 minutes
Cost: € 120.00 plus admission
Admission 10,00 €
Concession 5,00 €
Group size: from 5 to max. 25 people
Admission: 7,50 € (p.P.)
Copyright 2024 WA-M Wiener Aktionismus Museum GmbH
Copyright 2024 WA-M Wiener Aktionismus Museum GmbH
Meeting point: Foyer / Entrance
Duration of the tour: 60 minutes
The guided tour is included in the admission price.
Admission 10,00 €
Concession 5,00 €
Group size: from 5 to max. 25 people
Admission: 7,50 € (p.P.)
Copyright 2024 WA-M Wiener Aktionismus Museum GmbH
Copyright 2024 WA-M Wiener Aktionismus Museum GmbH
Meeting point: Foyer / Entrance
Duration of the tour: 60 minutes
The guided tour is included in the admission price.
Admission 10,00 €
Concession 5,00 €
Group size: from 5 to max. 25 people
Admission: 7,50 € (p.P.)
Copyright 2024 WA-M Wiener Aktionismus Museum GmbH
Copyright 2024 WA-M Wiener Aktionismus Museum GmbH
15.03.2024 – 31.01.2025
November 2024
November 30, Saturday, 3:00 PM
Tour through the current exhibition.
November 30, Saturday, 6:00 PM
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary and reinstallation of the installation “Einen Augenblick Zeit” by Hofstetter Kurt in the Vienna subway station Schottentor/University.
Actionism as an art practice is not a name for the simple process of life in the dynamics of waking and sleeping, of building and tearing down, of hunger and satiety, of hiding and finding. Artistic actionism is oriented towards the question: Is it possible to specifically determine effect in interpersonal action? …
December 2024
December 01, Sunday, 4:00 PM
Tour through the current exhibition.
Exhibition: 06.12.2024 – 31.01.2025
Sweat an Blood
December 6, Friday, 6:00 PM
“Sweat and Blood” explores themes of inner emigration — personal alienation from oppressive systems — amid sensory overload and mental escapism, blending social critique and personal trauma, while confronting today’s normalization of war through subtle acts of withdrawal rather than confrontation.
December 7, Saturday, 7:00 PM
“Sweat and Blood” is a new multidisciplinary art project by Diana Burkot (member of the Pussy Riot collective for over 10 years, member of the Riot Days Show by Pussy Riot for 5 years) presented in different forms, one of which is a music album and live show.
Blending atmospheric sound design with emotionally charged vocals, poetry, performance and personal narratives, this show delves into themes of inner exile / emigration, trauma, and resistance against social and political repression.
December 8, Sunday, 6:00 PM
The performance ‘Sweat and Blood’ is an act of protest from a feminist perspective, intended to express powerlessness in the face of various forms of violence, but above all political violence. The work plays with the intersections of power, war, vulnerability and collective guilt and can be read as a clear anti-war statement.
December 14, Saturday, 3:00 PM
Tour through the current exhibition.
December 15, Sunday, 4:00 PM
Tour through the current exhibition.
February 2025
Exhibition: 13.02.2025 – 10.06.2025
Four Actions
With its second exhibition, the WAM is now going into greater depth. The opening exhibition WHAT IS VIENNA ACTIONISM? first offered an overview of the multi-layered developments of this movement in the 1960s, whereby the individual actions were only presented with exemplary photos. Now, under the title FOUR ACTIONS, an exhibition series is being launched that presents selected actions with all the available historical material. In this way, it will be possible for the first time to understand the actions in all their detail. The aim of the exhibition is to open up new perspectives on the reception of Vienna Actionism through the precise examination of individual actions.