Manfred Deix

Artist
Manfred Deix
Attraction
Palace of the Winds
Born
1949 St. Pölten, Austria - 2016 Klosterneuburg, Austria

Deix achieved lasting fame in Austria through the cartoons he published in Der Spiegel, Pardon, Titanic, Playboy, Profil, Stern, and Trend, among other publications.

Deixfigur, a term derived from Deix’s name, is in an Austrian German dictionary.

His Luna Luna contribution continues his interest in the grotesque.

Manfred Deix, Palace of the Winds. Luna Luna, Hamburg, Germany, 1987.

Manfred Deix, Palace of the Winds. Luna Luna, Hamburg, Germany, 1987.

Austrian cartoonist Manfred Deix created wonderfully inappropriate caricatures of taboo subjects such as sexuality and politics, including numerous cartoons ridiculing the far-right figure Jörg Haider. His work is so central to what several sources have called the “Austrian soul” that the term Deixfigur (“Deix Figure”) was added to the Duden or German dictionary. Deix’s figures are physically sturdy and, in many cases, the antithesis of conventional beauty standards. They often appear in duos or groups, allowing characters to play off one another in outrageous situations, such as a reclining man holding a knife to the throat of the dental hygienist probing his mouth.

His work is so central to what several sources have called the “Austrian soul” that the term Deixfigur (“Deix Figure”) was added to the Duden or German dictionary.

Manfred Deix.

Manfred Deix, Palace of the Winds, exhibited 1987.

Deix designed the façade for a concept formulated by André Heller and Walter Navratil. Absurd scenes play out on the exterior archway: a man’s fart sends a woman’s hair flying, the mouthpiece of a saxophone is inserted into a man’s anus, and a woman’s wind threatens to blow out candles on two men’s heads. Inside, a troupe of specialist performers farted music before a live audience. The attraction extends Deix’s inquiry into mixing the banal with the grotesque in order to make visitors laugh with glee and discomfort. Inside, a troupe of specialist performers farted into microphones accompanied by classical music before a live audience. The attraction extends Deix's inquiry into mixing the banal with the grotesque in order to make visitors laugh with glee and discomfort.

Manfred Deix, Palace of the Winds, exhibited 1987.

Farting performers inside Palace of the Winds. The text above reads, “Farting all through the night and always with a good crack.” Luna Luna, Hamburg, Germany, 1987.

Forgotten Fantasy

Now open at the shed, nyc

Thirty-seven years ago, Luna Luna landed in Hamburg, Germany: the world’s first art amusement park with rides, games, and attractions by visionaries like Basquiat, Haring, Lichtenstein and Hockney. By a twist of fate, the park’s treasures were soon sealed in 44 shipping containers and forgotten in Texas — until now.