While sometimes debated as fitting neatly within Relational Aesthetics, Beecroft's performances create a specific social situation and explore themes of the body, identity, and the gaze. The interactions (or lack thereof) between the models and the audience are central to the work, creating a tension between spectacle and alienation. The work raises questions about the performance of femininity and the commodification of the body.
Born: 1969, Genoa, Italy
Nationality: Italian
Style: Performance Art, Relational Aesthetics
Influences: Fashion, feminism, the body
Major Exhibitions: "VB35" (1998), "VB45" (2001), "VB61" (2005)
Quote: "I'm interested in the way women are represented in society."
Website: https://www.gagosian.com/artists/vanessa-beecroft
This performance (and others in her VB series) featured a group of models, often nude or wearing identical clothing, standing or sitting in a gallery space for an extended period. The models were instructed not to interact with the audience, creating a sense of distance and objectification.
