Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002), one of the most important female artists of the 20th century, became known worldwide for her “Nanas”: they testify to an apparently carefree cheerfulness that shaped the image of the artist. But Niki de Saint Phalle’s work is much more.
Her oeuvre is surprisingly multifaceted – eccentric, emotional, dark and brutal, humorous, enigmatic and always challenging. The extremely broad spectrum of her work is reflected in painting and drawing, in assemblages, actions and large-format sculptures, but also in theatre, film and architecture.
She dealt intensively with social and political issues and questioned institutions and role models – discussions that are once again proving their relevance today. With her legendary “shooting pictures”, which were created in provocative actions as early as the 1960s, Niki de Saint Phalle made a decisive contribution to the art form of performance, which is highly topical today. If you follow her artistic career, many of her works, especially the “Nanas” and the large installations in public space, appear in a different light against this background.
The selection of works for this exhibition gives an insight into the complex and highly interesting work of this exceptional artist – and of course it also offers a colourful, varied viewing pleasure that Christoph Becker curated as his last exhibition for the Kunsthaus.
With around 100 works, the retrospective shows the extraordinary work of Niki de Saint Phalle: early assemblages, performance art and graphics, the Nanas, the tarot garden and large late sculptures.
The exhibition runs until January 8, 2023
Photos: (c) Kunsthaus Zurich
Source: Kunsthaus Zurich, Sep 1, 2022
https://www.kunsthaus.ch/