Monument to a Myth
Eduard Freudmann’s intervention at Graz’s Befreiungsdenkmal aims to shift the confusing narratives around the commemoration of the departure of Allied occupation forces in 1955, the celebration of the country’s neutrality, and the myth of its victimhood at the hands of the Nazis. Freudmann challenges these conceptions by temporarily transforming the monument. In his rendition it becomes an obelisk, a form typically commemorating victory but one that is now colored pink to demilitarize and queer its martial allusions. The inscription ÖDUOPFER, meaning “Österreich, you victim,” references the colloquial use of the term as an insult among teenagers. Here it refers to the misplaced Austrian sense of victimhood after World War II. The obelisk is juxtaposed with lettering floating on the nearby pond, composing a fragile countermonument dedicated to the liberation from National Socialism.

Credits
Curated by Mirela Baciak
Structural planning and construction: studio magic
Production manager: Amelie Brandstätter
Project coordinator: Lena Kohlmayr
Consulting in sculptural issues: Mischa Guttmann
Typographical consultancy: Martin Tiefenthaler

Commissioned and produced as part of
Counterpositions - a collaborative project in public space by
CLIO Verein für Geschichts- und Bildungsarbeit
steirischer herbst ’19
Institut für Kunst im öffentlichen Raum Steiermark