German visual artist Anne Imhof discusses her multidisciplinary, avant-garde practice ahead of a new London performance incorporating ballet. Known for relinquishing control and allowing audiences to shape their own experience, Imhof works across performance, sculpture, music, painting, and installation. Her career highlights include winning the Golden Lion for Best National Participation at the 2017 Venice Biennale for 'Faust', the immersive 'Sex' at Tate Modern in 2019, and 'Natures Mortes' at Palais de Tokyo in 2021. She describes her collaborative process, early experiments in Frankfurt, and the importance of instinct and the audience's energy in her work.
This article matters because it offers insight into one of the most influential contemporary performance artists working today, whose boundary-pushing work critiques digital-age alienation and commodity culture. Imhof's upcoming London show with ballet signals a new evolution in her practice, and her reflections on control, collaboration, and the role of the viewer illuminate key tensions in contemporary art. Her track record of major institutional shows and prestigious awards underscores her significance in the global art world.