About this episode

Anne Imhof discusses her influences and the cultural experiences that shape her work in performance art.

Anne Imhof talks to Ben Luke about her influences—from writers to musicians, and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped her life and work. Imhof, who was born in 1978 in Giessen in Germany, is primarily known for her epic durational performances involving diverse collectives of dancers, musicians and actors. Their movement, speech and song is built from often fragmentary gestures, and informed by a wealth of sources as well as the innate expertise of the performers themselves, which Imhof harnesses to choreograph tableaux of rich affective power. A reflection on and of contemporary societal conditions, these works are also profoundly engaged with cultural and performance traditions, from the languages and forms of contemporary dance and ballet to rock concerts and art history. Imhof’s practice extends far beyond performance, involving painting and drawing, sculpture and sculptural installation, and film. In each language that she adopts, she overtly engages her audience and particularly their bodies, whether that is in the mode of address of her performance works, in sculptures that evoke barriers or surveillance mechanisms, or in paintings that…

People in this episode

Host: Ben Luke

Guest: Anne Imhof

Topics covered

• performance art
• influences
• cultural experiences
• contemporary dance
• art history

Keywords

• Anne Imhof
• performance
• cultural influences
• dance
• art

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Giessen

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