Kurt Kren
Encyclopedia
Kurt Kren was an Austria
n avantgarde filmmaker. He is best known for his involvement with the Vienna Aktionists
and the group of films that resulted.
, Austria
to a family of a Jewish father (a bank employee) and German mother. From 1939 till the end of World War II
Kren lived in Rotterdam
, where he was sent with one of the Children's Transports. In 1947 Kren returned to Vienna
, and his father provided him a job at the National Bank.
He began a film career in the early 1950s creating experimental short 8mm films. In 1957 he moved to the 16mm format.
In 1966, Kren participated in the Destruction in Art Symposium
in London
. In 1968 he visited the USA for the first time, showing his films in New York
and St. Louis
. After a participation in a happening "Kunst und Revolution" ("Art and Revolution") at the University of Vienna
in 1968, Kren's films were confiscated and he was fired from the National Bank.
Kren participated in 1970 in the International Underground Film Festival (London
, UK) and 1971 in the Cannes Film Festival
. He moved to Cologne
, Germany
for five years.
Retrospective screenings took place in 1976 in National Film Theatre, London
, 1978 in New York
, 1979 in Museum of Modern Art
, New York
.
From 1978 until 1989 Kurt Kren lived in the USA, sometimes just in a car, traveling, making presentations and lectures at universities, film schools and the Houston Museum of Fine Arts.
In the early 1980's Kren alternated between living in Austin Texas and Houston Texas. He began frequenting the Texas punk rock clubs and became a fixture of the early Houston punk rock scene. Kren became good friends with punk rock band Really Red
and often would show his films as a backdrop to their Texas shows. On their "New Strings for Old Puppets" ep Really Red recorded a song in tribute to Kurt Kren called "Ode to Kurt Kren". From 1983 until 1989 Kren did work as a security officer at the Museum of Fine Arts (Houston, USA).
Kren returned to his native Vienna in 1989. In the 1990s his works were presented worldwide, also by the major museums and cinematheques. He was a co-founder of the Vienna Institute of Direct Art and the Austrian Filmmakers Cooperative.
Kurt Kren died from pneumonia
in Vienna
, Austria
in 1998.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n avantgarde filmmaker. He is best known for his involvement with the Vienna Aktionists
Viennese Actionism
The term Viennese Actionism describes a short and violent movement in 20th century art that can be regarded as part of the many independent efforts of the 1960s to develop "action art" . Its main participants were Günter Brus, Otto Mühl, Hermann Nitsch and Rudolf Schwarzkogler. As "actionists",...
and the group of films that resulted.
Biography
Kurt Kren was born in 1929 in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
to a family of a Jewish father (a bank employee) and German mother. From 1939 till the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Kren lived in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, where he was sent with one of the Children's Transports. In 1947 Kren returned to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and his father provided him a job at the National Bank.
He began a film career in the early 1950s creating experimental short 8mm films. In 1957 he moved to the 16mm format.
In 1966, Kren participated in the Destruction in Art Symposium
Destruction in Art Symposium
The Destruction in Art Symposium was a gathering of a diverse group of international artists, poets, and scientists to London, from 9–11 September 1966...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In 1968 he visited the USA for the first time, showing his films in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. After a participation in a happening "Kunst und Revolution" ("Art and Revolution") at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
in 1968, Kren's films were confiscated and he was fired from the National Bank.
Kren participated in 1970 in the International Underground Film Festival (London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK) and 1971 in the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
. He moved to Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for five years.
Retrospective screenings took place in 1976 in National Film Theatre, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 1978 in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, 1979 in Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
From 1978 until 1989 Kurt Kren lived in the USA, sometimes just in a car, traveling, making presentations and lectures at universities, film schools and the Houston Museum of Fine Arts.
In the early 1980's Kren alternated between living in Austin Texas and Houston Texas. He began frequenting the Texas punk rock clubs and became a fixture of the early Houston punk rock scene. Kren became good friends with punk rock band Really Red
Really Red
Really Red was one of Houston Texas' first Punk bands in the late 70's, along with The Legionaire's Disease Band, Plastic Idols and the Hates. Their roots can be traced as far back as the late 60's when Ronnie Bond and Kelly Younger had a high school band called The Lords...
and often would show his films as a backdrop to their Texas shows. On their "New Strings for Old Puppets" ep Really Red recorded a song in tribute to Kurt Kren called "Ode to Kurt Kren". From 1983 until 1989 Kren did work as a security officer at the Museum of Fine Arts (Houston, USA).
Kren returned to his native Vienna in 1989. In the 1990s his works were presented worldwide, also by the major museums and cinematheques. He was a co-founder of the Vienna Institute of Direct Art and the Austrian Filmmakers Cooperative.
Kurt Kren died from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in 1998.
Filmography
- Das Walk (1956)
- Rom (Fragment) (1956)
- Klavier Salon 1. Stock (1956)
- Mobiles (1957)
- 1/57: Versuch mit synthetischem Ton (Test) / 1/57: Experiment with Synthetic Sound (Test) (1957)
- 2/60: 48 Köpfe aus dem Szondi-Test / 2/60: 48 Heads from the Szondi-Test (1960)
- 3/60: Bäume im Herbst / 3/60: Trees in Autumn (1960)
- 5/62: Fenstergucker, Abfall, etc. / 5/62: People Looking Out of the Window, Trash, etc. (1962)
- 6/64: Mama und Papa (Materialaktion Otto Mühl) / 6/64: Mom and Dad (An Otto Mühl Happening) (1964)
- 7/64: Leda mit dem Schwan / 7/64: Leda and the Swan (1964)
- 8/64: Ana - Aktion Brus / 8/64: Ana: Action Brus (1964)
- 9/64: O Tannenbaum (1964) / 9/64: O Christmas Tree
- 10/65: Selbstverstümmelung / 10/65: Self-Mutilation (1965)
- 10b/65: Silber - Aktion Brus / 10b/65: Silver: Action Brus (1965)
- 15/67: TV (1967)
- 16/67: 20. September / 16/67: September 20 (1967)
- 18/68: Venecia kaputt (1968)
- 23/69: Underground Explosion (1969)
- 26/71: Zeichenfilm - Balzac und das Auge Gottes / 26/71: Cartoon: Balzac and the Eye of God (1971)
- 31/75: Asyl / 31/75: Asylum (1975)
- 32/76: An W+B / 32/76: To W+B (1976)
- 37/78: Tree Again (1978)
- 38/79: Sentimental Punk (1979)
- 39/81: Which Way to CA? (1981)
- 40/81: Breakfast im Grauen (1981)
- 41/82: Getting warm (1982)
- No Film (1983)
- 44/85: Foot'-age Shoot'-out (1985)
- Trailer (1988)
- Ein Fest (1991)
- Tausendjahrekino / Thousand-Years-Cinema (1995)
- 50/96 Snapspots (for Bruce) (1996)
External links
- Sixpack Film Vienna-based distributor of Kren's work
- Few films for downloading and an essay about Kren
- Biography (also used as one of the sources for this article)
- About Kurt Kren in Bright Lights Film Journal