Vanessa Beecroft (Genoa, Italy, 1969)

Vanessa Beecroft was born in 1969 in Genoa, where she attended art school and graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts. She first enrolled in the Faculty of Architecture but then moved to Milan to study at the Brera Academy.

Her work has been exhibited worldwide since 1993 and has influenced the international performance art scene.

Through the illustration of her own body and that of young women, often half-naked, her performances explore themes such as the representation of the female body and socio-political discussions on art. Her works are characterised by precise choreographies and patterns, creating living paintings.

The artist wants to encourage the viewer to think about the fickle, ephemeral, dialogue-lacking and voiceless world of fashion. It creates a situation of unease, which leads the viewer to inevitable reflections.

Her performances – entitled VB, followed by a progressive number – have been a work in progress for over twenty-five years. Showed in some of the world's most important museums and major contemporary events, her performances highlight the tension between nudity and clothing, constraint and freedom, the collective and the individual, human strength and weakness.

She currently lives and works in Los Angeles.

Copyright the artist. Photo UniCredit Group