The SoS state is now moving through foreign state territory without having to actually set foot on it – with a hearse (Mercedes 709) converted for SoS operations in social-cultural terrain.

Using a hearse as a mobile “place” – as a moving memento mori – extended tours will be undertaken both home and abroad and, in particular, temporary locations established. “Memento Mori” is a collaboration between the State of Sabotage (SoS), represented by artist Robert Jelinek, and the AO& organization (chaired by Philipp Furtenbach, Phillipp Riccabona & Thomas A. Wisser) http://aound.net/. Three to five people will collect and process plant and animal substances. The extracts, tinctures, etc. will become part of the steadily growing SoS and AO& natural produce collection along with other found objects and artifacts. A primary means of laying the groundwork for open communication consists in the preparation of food (from simple subsistence to differentiated twenty-course meals) using only ingredients and substances of personally known origin (certified producers and personal produce). The hearse serves as an exhibition space for a steadily growing collection of natural produce and topical artifacts, as well as a socio-cultural and diplomatic meeting- and marketplace for presentations, lectures, etc.

Mobile Location

The conversion of an exposed, uninhabitable place into a protected location that more than adequately fulfills every basic need creates a temporary living space to enable and stimulate direct human encounters. Extended on-location research and investigation of regional conditions, especially social and biological characteristics, allows the fine-tuning of necessary modifications to the given environment. This will not be done in isolation, but achieved through informal and interdisciplinary means by considering every interesting aspect and person in the environment as synergetic added value. An eclectic program of lectures, concerts, discussions, and other gatherings rounds out this approach.

The State Brings in the Harvest – Collection, Harvest Tours

The hearse’s trunk compartment will accommodate an extensive collection (including a natural produce cabinet, pharmacy, laboratory, Wunderkammer, fetish market, shrine and chapel) to be continuously augmented during the course of the harvest tours. Portraits, lectures, discussions, interviews and material contributions by relevant figures, collected during the tours, will enrich the collection. At temporary locations, as well as in villages, towns, monasteries, castles, etc. the vehicle will serve additionally as a podium for lectures, exhibitions, performances and presentations. At certain locations, the substances, objects, editions, etc. obtained during the tours will be made available in the form of state products.

Memento Mori

Being interested in living systems implies dealing with death, regardless of possible metaphysical backgrounds. This field has already been dealt with in several artistic works and also manifests itself in the name of the SoS state.

The Hearse as Art Object and State Coach

In 2004, the Vienna Burial Service disposed of its obsolete fleet of hearses (Mercedes 709s). Three of the vehicles were purchased by the State of Sabotage and deployed several times at art exhibitions and festivals in Austria and other European countries. SoS and AO& found one of them to be worth preserving and it has now been completely restored and converted. In the future, the vehicle (custom-built in 1992 – only eight were ever produced) will be driven by AO& under the aegis of SoS with the license plate number “W SoS 1”. It is an art object whose appearance alone transports the topics of life and death directly to the public. Similar to a library- or blood donation-bus, this mobile sculpture, in cooperation with artists, scientists and cultural sociologists, offers a platform for on-location interaction with the public.

License Number: W – SoS 1
Model: Mercedes 709
Type of Vehicle: Hearse
Dead Weight: 4.6 metric tons