“Exploring Maria Lassnig’s New York Years,” A Conversation with Artist Hans Werner Poschauko and Curator Ashton Cooper

Hans Werner Poschauko is Maria Lassnig’s longtime steward and collaborator, a board member of the Maria Lassnig Foundation, and an artist. Poschauko studied under Lassnig at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna (in the fields of painting and animated film) from 1983–1989 and conducted his postgraduate studies at Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht, The Netherlands from 1992–1994. He is a multi-field artist, working in painting, sculpture, performance, film, and art projects in public spaces. Poschauko was personal assistant to Lassnig until her death in 2014. The recent restoration of Maria Lassnig’s films was overseen by Poschauko, in collaboration with Lassnig’s longtime colleague, Austrian filmmaker, painter, and performance artist Mara Mattuschka. The exhibition, “Honey, You’re a Wonderful Model: Maria Lassnig’s Animated Films,” curated by Associate Curator Ashton Cooper, is on view at the Des Moines Art Center February 14 – May 17, 2026. This lecture corresponds with our February Social Saturday event; join us for a full day of fun and learning! Free; registration required. Image: Courtesy of Hans Werner Poschauko