Maximiliano León is preoccupied with the search for his own identity.
His parents are from Austria and Mexico; one thing he has in common is the Habsburgs and Emperor Maximilian, with whom he shares the same name.
The conspiracy theory is that Emperor Maximilian was not murdered, but fled to El Salvador, shaved off his hair and changed his name to Justo Armas. Reason enough for Maximiliano to use the same name and the same “hairstyle” at Pettenbach station to put this rumour centre stage.
The wallpaper on the walls of the station flat connects the space with his painting as a thematic transition, so that the space becomes part of the work. The best place to present the “change of personality” from Emperor Maximilian to Justo Armas. The wallpaper hints at imperial palaces and at the same time reinforces the humorous approach to the conspiracy theory, which the Habsburgs never contradicted.
An oversized bar of chocolate from Maximilian’s childhood, named after the ruler of Spain, the Habsburg Emperor Charles V during the Conquista of Mexico, rounds off the whimsical aspect of the exhibition.
There are also other site-specific aspects to discover.
Note:
Also worth seeing in the station through the windows from the outside is the adjoining room, the abandoned dispatcher’s room, a remnant of days gone by.
Accessibility
Limited barrier-free access
OEBB transport area – children only under supervision
No public WC / rented toilet available
Salt Lake Cities
Regional empty spaces as places of experience and meeting points for art: the Capital of Culture 2024 invites young artists from Germany and abroad to research, live and work in these spaces and to activate them with artistic contributions.
More about the project at salzkammergut-2024.at
