VALIE EXPORT, icon of feminist art who placed the body at the center of her research, has died

VALIE EXPORT, the Austrian artist and feminist icon known for using her body as a political and artistic tool, has died in Vienna at age 85. Born in Linz in 1940, she changed her name in 1967 and became a pioneer of performance, film, and media art, creating provocative works such as "Tapp-und Tastkino" (1968), where she turned her body into a touchable cinema screen, and "Aktionshose: Genitalpanik" (1969). Her career spanned over six decades, and she taught at institutions including the University of Wisconsin and the Berlin University of the Arts. In 2023, the Albertina Museum in Vienna held a major retrospective of her work.

EXPORT's death marks the loss of a foundational figure in feminist art who challenged male-dominated narratives and inspired generations of artists, from Marina Abramović to Cindy Sherman. Her insistence on the body as a site of resistance and her interrogation of language, space, and power remain deeply relevant to contemporary debates about gender, representation, and institutional critique. The article also notes that a dialogue exhibition with Ketty La Rocca, titled "Body Sign," opened at Thaddeus Ropac's new Milan space in 2026, underscoring her enduring influence.