Arts Bombast: Valie Export
Valie Export wants you to fondle her. At least, she did in 1968. I recently discovered the piece Tapp- und Tast-Kino or “Tap and Touch Cinema” by the Austrian experimental/feminist performance artist. In her 20’s, she changed her last name to Export, inspired by her favorite cigarette brand:
With ’68s’ Tapp- und Tast-Kino, Export invited audiences on the street to feel her up via a cardboard box with cut-outs. Much like her more extreme Action Pants: Genital Action, Export agressively places the female body into a public space, forcing people to interact with her form. There’s also an element of curiosity, or maybe even fear- what if what you think you’re reaching for isn’t what you expected?
Should I change my last name to Parliament? Or Winston? Neither are that great.
Export: RIYL: Cindy Sherman, Annegret Soltau, Alexis Hunter, Nan Goldin…
