Biographical overview
DOMINIK STEIGER (18.10.1940 - 12.1.2014), born in Vienna
After his baccalaureate 1958 studies of Political Sciences and Slavic Philology – soon discontinued
Travels without passport and money to Marseille to join the Foreign Legion; after months in Algeria, crisis; escapes with a lot of luck and the help of a colonel from the penal company.
1960: is sent back to Vienna after stays in various hospitals; Decides to become a writer. Occasional work, acquaintance with artists and bohemians; first poems self-published, stays in Paris.
Wants to join Kurdish freedom fighters with two friends in 1963, but then travels alone to Turkey and India. Back in Vienna, he works in Kurt Kalb's antique shop, where he meets Konrad and Traudl Bayer
1965: moves in with Traudl Bayer at Dannebergplatz
1966 Friendship with Dieter Roth begins
1967 makes his debut with Berlin publisher Rainer Pretzell on recommendation of Gerhard Rühm with his Die verbesserte große Sozialistische Oktoberrevolution (The Improved Great Socialist October Revolution)
ZOCK-happening in Vienna, Provo-happening at the Frankfurt Book Fair
1968/69 Successes with two paperbacks at Suhrkamp (Wunderpost for Copilots & Hupen Jolly drives electric car)
Founds the Mickey Mouse-Club with Reinhard Priessnitz, Kurt Kalb and others ; Protest action at the International Congress of Philosophers in Vienna
1971 Joseph Beuys stays at Dannebergplatz for a few days; excursions to the Danube wetlands; encourages drawing.
Günter Brus publishes Steiger's first drawings in his Schastrommel nr. 7 and 1974 Schastrommel nr. 12. writes without much ado (senza tanto) several books in the outsider publishing houses Hundertmark (Berlin) and Seedorn (Zurich)
1974 his idioeidetischer Letterfrack (idioeidetic lettertails) bring together extensions of his Knöchelchen (little bones) made by his artist friends as well as by himself
participates in the Berlin concert Selten gehörte Musik (rarely heard music), initiated by Dieter Roth
from 1975 onwards regularly represented in solo and group exhibitions
founds the publishing house "Buchdienst Fesch" which first publishes DIETER ROTHS TRÄNENMEER (sea of tears) and 1976 publishes NERVENKRITIK (Nerve-criticism), with contributions from Christian Ludwig Attersee, Konrad Bayer, Günter Brus, Arnulf Rainer, Dieter Roth, D. Steiger, Kurt Vitello
1977 publishes JEDEN JEDEN MITTWOCH EIN ZWOMAN (every every wednesday a twoman) a book project begun in 1974 with Günter Brus, which came about through weekly by post exchanged texts and drawings which they mutually completed
1979 - 82 several publications in Dieter Roth's Zeitschrift für alles (magazine for everything)
1984 publication of ZELL FESCH, (cell smart) Buchdienst Fesch and Seedorn Publishers, Zurich, accompanying the exhibition in Zell am See with the Gadenstätter couple
1987 Zusammenspiel (interaction) with Gerhard Rühm - joint exhibition at Palais Kinsky, Vienna
1993 LETTERFÄLLE (LETTERFALLS) in 53 parts in the daily newspaper der Standard, in co-operation with museum in progress and the curator Robert Fleck
1994, from his book THINGUMMY on the literary works are published by Droschl, Graz
1995 foundation of the TAGTRAUMARBEITERPARTEI (DAYDREAM WORKERS PARTY)
1996 participates in exhibition Jenseits von Kunst (beyond art), curated by Peter Weibel, Ludwig Museum Budapest and Neue Galerie Graz, Relationship with Renate Ganser begins
1997 11.7. birth of his son Moritz Julius Balthasar Ganser 1997 - 2008 exhibitions in Vienna, Frankfurt, Brussels, Helsinki, Madrid, Pécs, Wels, Cologne, Graz, Salzburg, Lübeck, Mürzzuschlag and Zurich
2004 Austrian literary prize
2008 prize for Fine Arts of the City of Vienna
2014 on 12 January, Dominik Steiger dies in his apartment in Vienna after a long illness. The book Spuk und Geflunker (spooks and fibs) he had submitted to Ritterverlag is published in spring 2014
RETROSPECTIVE DOMINIK STEIGER at the Kunsthalle Krems from 15.11.2014 - 8.2.2015 produced by museum director Hans-Peter Wipplinger
(a.d.s.)
* the teaser image shows a portrait of Dominik Steiger by André Thomkins
