She was an exceptional artist and a pioneer for equality, inclusion and the social recognition of feminist values: Valie Export passed away on May 14, just a few days before her 86th birthday.
In the late 1960s, at a time when self-determination over one's own body was not yet a given for women, she asserted her right to it through her now iconic actions. With courage and perseverance, she questioned and broke down societal norms and taboos in her diverse body of work, significantly influencing subsequent generations of artists.
„Her significance cannot be overestimated,“ wrote DIE PRESSE in an obituary; with her death, Austria loses „an indomitable visionary and an icon of freedom,“ declared Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen. „With her uncompromising stance, her intellectual rigor, and her radicalism, she set new artistic standards – and as a person, she impressed with her curiosity, wit, and kindness. The loss is still immeasurable,“ wrote Stella Rollig, Director General of the Belvedere, in a press release.
She maintained her alertness until the very end, as well as her work. A year ago, in an interview with the STANDARD on the occasion of her 85th birthday, she answered the question of what advice she would give to young female colleagues: „Keep going, remain radical, shout loudly, speak out loudly. And analyze the rules of our society and try to change them in a positive, utopian way.“ In the same interview, however, she also warned: „It (the situation) had improved somewhat and is now becoming more difficult again. (…) One must be careful and vigilant. Very vigilant.“
For those interested in learning more about her work, the Valie Export Center Linz is highly recommended. This center researches, processes, and presents her early and now also her posthumous works. Her work is represented in numerous international and Austrian museums, and the Albertina dedicated a comprehensive retrospective to her in 2023.