Faux Kings

What to do when you, by accident, discover that you have royal ancestry? How do you react to famous emperors demanding to be recognized in your own personal history? Dutzi Ijsenhower, to whom it happened, channeled his feelings of royal grandeur, surprising entitlement, and pure bafflement into the portrait series the Faux Kings – by becoming versions of his forbearers he created the ancestral portrait gallery of a Drag Queen

ARTIST
Bernd Eischeid is an artist, drag queen, and performer whose work constantly challenges perceptions of gender and identity. Since 2005, Eischeid has come to prominence in Vienna under his drag name Dutzi Ijsenhower, known especially for his performances and queer events. In art performances, whether on stage or in front of the camera, Eischeid uses a variety of visual and cultural sources. Since many years, the medium of photography has been an integral part of his artistic expression.

Curated by Ewa Stern