VALIE EXPORT, the pioneering Austrian feminist artist known for her provocative performances centered on the female body, has died at age 85. Born in Linz in 1940, she adopted the name VALIE EXPORT in 1967 and quickly rose to prominence with iconic actions such as *TAP and TOUCH Cinema* (1968) and *Action Pants: Genital Panic* (1968), which challenged passive representations of women. Her work spanned photography, film, and expanded cinema, and she participated in major international exhibitions including documenta 6 and 12, and the Venice Biennale, where she and Maria Lassnig became the first women to represent Austria in 1980.
EXPORT's death marks the loss of a foundational figure in feminist and body art. Her unflinching exploration of self-determination and the politics of the body reshaped how artists confront gender and spectatorship, influencing generations of practitioners. Her legacy is cemented by her inclusion in landmark exhibitions and her teaching at institutions worldwide, ensuring her radical vision continues to resonate in contemporary art discourse.