14/05/2026
One of Austria’s most influential and uncompromising contemporary artists has passed away in Vienna. VALIE EXPORT‘s work has profoundly redefined how we perceive images, the body, and space. Her core artistic concerns—“body, concept, media”remained unchanged throughout her practice, as did her commitment to emancipation, which she saw as still having to assert itself against a growing societal backlash. As she once said: “Once again, women are having to fight. That makes me sad and angry, because we have truly achieved so much.”
I had the honour of photographing her in 2023 as part of the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ yearbook IMAGINE DIGNITY, a project featuring 30 female artists reflecting on the uncertain future of AI and art. VALIE EXPORT was one of them.
A brief encounter, but one that stays with me.
Rest in peace.
