Valie Export, the Austrian performance artist, filmmaker, and sculptor known for confronting gender representation, dies at 85 in Vienna, according to multiple outlets. Her foundation announced that she died earlier in the day, three days before what would have been her 86th birthday. Artforum and Hyperallergic also report that her death is confirmed by representatives associated with her work, including the gallery Thaddaeus Ropac.
Across coverage, Export is described as a leading figure in postwar feminist art whose work challenges the “male gaze” and the objectification of women. In the 1960s, several accounts note that her provocative performances drew scandal and public outrage in Austria. Over time, those works are now widely recognized for their role in exposing misogyny and the ways media and society portray the female body.
The sources portray Export as using her own body in novel and confrontational ways through performances, film, and related artistic forms. They also emphasize that her approach helped reclaim control over how female bodies are shown and interpreted, including through guerrilla-style delivery that bypassed conventional restrictions. She is remembered as an influential icon of feminist art.
