Vanessa Beecroft

Inventor of a unique artistic language in her performance pieces, the Italian artist Vanessa Beecroft directly addresses themes central to contemporary culture everywhere: identity, multiplicity, the body and sexuality, and in the process, mixes glamour with the history of art. Known for pieces during which multiple, beautiful models stage a ritual of being and appearing, mostly in the nude, Beecroft involves the audience in a direct confrontation, pushing to the limit the tension of a happening that is simultaneously unique, real and abstract. This book is the catalog of the Fall 2003 exhibition at Castello di Rivoli in Turin and is the most complete publication of the artist's work to date and includes critical text as well as a detailed biography and bibliography. This major retrospective of the artist will present an original interpretation of her work, and will feature a new large-scale performance along with photographic and video works.