Alice Creischer´s work can hardly be defined on the basis of an ascribed role, because the artist works in different group contexts that are variously composed or realizes her own exhibitions, but also writes for art journals such as Texte zur Kunst and springerin. The central theme of her artistic and theoretical work is revealing processes and machinations in politics and business and their culture. For this, Creischer usually selects a real historical reference point and embeds this in a new and freely chosen narrative. Alice Creischer shows The Greatest Happiness Principle Party in the Galerie, a scene frozen into an exhibition.

The party plays at the Secession—which was previously well known for its artists’ parties—during an era, in which many institutions turn their only supposedly, but still asserted autonomous space over to companies or parties and even summit meetings as a venue. Yet time has been turned back here to the year 1931: the bank Austrian Credit Institute is using the rooms of the Secession for a party. It is a party without major conflicts or unusual occurrences. One learns, however, that the bank, which was one of the most important international points of transfer involved in speculation in the Balkans, is on the brink of bankruptcy. In 1931 this bankruptcy triggered the second major world economic crisis.

On the occasion of this party, the first guests have already assembled; some seem to be lost in talking to themselves—this is evident in the various arrangements and formulas, which are due to the utilitarian calculations of bliss of a society as a ‘Fabric of Felicity’, as outlined by the philosopher Jeremy Bentham. Costumed as a wizard, Bentham himself is one of the central persons of the ensemble.

The space at the back of the installation has been rearranged as a cloakroom. The cloakroom scene of this space counterpoints the party, as the personnel instigates a ‘militant investigation’ into the fall of the Credit Institute and its consequences. One of the consequences of this bankruptcy are the European strategies of German capital, the finance and development technology of which served as a model for setting up and founding the International Monetary Fund. In the topical reference to European south-eastern Europe policies, the rationalization terror of the Enlightenment is intertwined with the terror of transforming existence into value as spread by the expansions of the market economy apparatuses of power.

In total, The Greatest Happiness Principle Party shows seven life-sized wooden silhouettes clothed in various costumes, as well as textiles, drawings and a video work.