Markus Prachensky was born in Innsbruck on March 21, 1932. After finishing school with examinations that qualified for university entrance, Markus Prachensky moved to Vienna in 1952, where he began to study architecture under Lois Welzenbacher at the Art Academy. t the same time, Prachensky studied painting from 1953 on.

Together with Wolfgang Hollegha, Josef Mikl and Arnulf Rainer, Prachensky was a co-founder of the 'Galerie Nächst St. Stephan' in 1956, whose principal patron was Monsignore Otto Mauer, a well-known art historian. By 1957 the group was introduced to the public at a large-scale Viennese Secession exhibition and Prachensky became a member of the Secession. While staying in Paris in 1958, ...