The Last Supper

March 12, 2026

An exhibition exploring the sensual intensity of cultic and ritual practices surrounding the Last Supper.

In his exploration of the Last Supper, Hermann Nitsch did not refer to the Gospel of John, which Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting follows. He was primarily interested in the Eucharistic cultic and ritual practices because of their sensual intensity and the hermetic density of their symbolic meaning. Chalices, monstrances, wine and water jugs, hosts, folded white cloths, gold and silver bowls, and above all, the ritual vestments, stoles, and chasubles exerted a powerful influence on him.

Between 1976 and 1979, Nitsch worked on the drawing “The Last Supper,” which he created on a single sheet of paper. In 1983, this work was first published as a silkscreen print. In 2021, this work was revived on cloths sprinkled with bright colors, foreshadowing the resurrection of “the defeated hero”.

The exhibition opening will take place on Thursday, 12 March 2026 at 19:00 at the Nitsch Foundation in Vienna.