Gottfried Helnwein | IRELAND | Ireland Special | IRELAND IS IN POSSESSION OF A SANITY THAT IS MORE POTENT THAN MOST PLACES.

The story of Mercedes began in a hospital in Vienna, Austria, somewhere at the end of 1979. Thanks to her parents, life never threatened to become very normal. Her father, Gottfried Helnwein, had long before her birth already established his name in the fine art scene, and not without controversy.
At her inception, Mercedes’ favorite color was pink, her favorite food spaghetti and her favorite animal was the rhino from the Viennese zoo with the severe mood swings. She loved to watch it charge at the visitors. Her best friend at the time was Rudy, a one-legged art student with long black hair and beard, who was living in the children’s room and doubled as nanny occasionally. Rudy and Mercedes would have long conversations about ballet and take walks through the park. Many a morning he would wake up to find his leg somewhere at the other end of the apartment. He resembled Jesus physically and had a fondness for strong language. He had been an Olympic high jumper for Austria, but after a bad accident and a less than perfect job at the hospital, he lost his leg and became an artist...


		01. Август 2005 Mercedes Helnwein Tipperary the superlative conspiracy IRELAND IS IN POSSESSION OF A SANITY THAT IS MORE POTENT THAN MOST PLACES. "Ireland is in possession of a sanity that is more potent than most places. Everything that is so painstakingly important in other places seems to brake there, and you’re left more or less with just yourself. And although you might feel slightly naked for the first few hours or days, wanting to know where to put your hands, what to worry about, whom to exchange arrogant glances with, you can’t really help but feel some kind of massive, benevolent relief." -Mercedes Helnwein.


		WE ARE THE SUPERLATIVE CONSPIRACY By Mercedes Helnwein and Geoff Nishimoto 01. August 2005


01. Август 2005	Mercedes Helnwein	the superlative conspiracy