Since 2002, the artist collective—consisting of Christian Egger, Christian Kosmas Mayer, Yves Mettler, Magda Tóthová, Ruth Weismann, and Alexander Wolff—has been producing Ztscrpt, an independent, international publication focusing on contemporary art, theory, and society.
The play “One Hour and a Half in the Life of Ztscrpt” once again portrays the protagonists as they descend deeper into self-referential blind spots, also addressing the growing pressure to perform in various aspects of social life. While claiming to tell the story of the characters’ personal lives, the piece strongly resembles Pollesch’s slow-motion plays, draws on familiar anecdotes from Andy Warhol’s Factory, and, at its worst, recalls a simplistic plot from an episode of “Friends.”
As their interests diverge, one member of the editorial staff wants to integrate the magazine into a homeless newspaper where they now work, while another member insists on featuring only their own art projects, both in writing and visuals. The original spirit of communication that once united them has given way to frantic project talk, which some find increasingly difficult to engage in due to excessive drug and alcohol consumption.