The only woman associated with the Vienna Actionists of the 1960s, Valie Export’s trailblazing (and often controversial) performances have included Tap and Touch Cinema (1968), in which she invited strangers to touch her breasts through a wooden box. This exhibition at the Albertina Museum in Vienna (23 June–1 October) is her biggest to date. Featuring original footage, photography and installations, the show takes in the full breadth of her oeuvre. This ranges from her early feminist actions and provocative performances such as Asemie – The Inability to Express Oneself Through Facial Expressions (1973), to larger group performances including Body Configurations (1972–82), which she worked on over a number of years. Find out more on the Albertina’s website.
Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary
From the Portfolio of Dogness (1968), Valie Export. Courtesy Thaddaeus Ropac, London, Paris, Salzburg, Seoul; photo: Joseph Tandl; © VALIE EXPORT, Bildrecht, Vienna 2023
ASEMIA – The Inability to Express Oneself through Facial Expressions (detail; 1973), Valie Export. Courtesy Gallery Thaddaeus Ropac, London, Paris, Salzburg, Seoul; photo: Alfred Damm; © VALIE EXPORT, Bildrecht, Vienna 2023
Smart Export, Self Portrait (1970), Valie Export. Albertina Museum, Vienna. Photo: © Gertraud Wolfschwenger, © VALIE EXPORT, Bildrecht, Vienna 2023
TAPP UND TAST KINO (1968), Valie Export. Albertina Museum, Vienna. Photo: Werner Schulz; © VALIE EXPORT, Bildrecht, Vienna 2023