Eleanor is considered a pioneer representative of conceptual, feminist art. Her multimedia practice – spanning photography, film and video, performance, text, installation and drawing – explores questions of identity and politics through stories that intertwine personal and historical. Fictional alter egos, such as The King, The Ballerina or The Nurse appear in many projects in various forms, subverting the forces behind societal roles and historical narratives. The iconic photographic series 100 Boots (1971–73) – a road movie without people – is an example of the witty, ironic and political awareness that characterises her work. Carving: A Traditional Sculpture (1972) is an early feminist examination of the female body through taxonomy systems, often driven by patriarchal and colonial forces. Her multidimensional projects enable profound explorations of herself and the world, in direct dialogue with her Eastern European Jewish heritage. Standing at the intersection of conceptual art, performance and second-wave feminism, Antin’s position has profoundly impacted the artistic canon of the 20th and 21st centuries.Antin’s practice has been groundbreaking for subsequent generations of artists working with performance and self-representation.Published on the occasion of Eleanor Antin’s first major retrospective since 1999 – and the first ever in Europe – at Mudam Luxembourg—Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Kunstmuseum Vaduzand MOCAK—The Museum of Contemporary Art in Kraków,.
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