E' nata a Genova nel 1969. Vive e lavora a New York. Espone dal 1994 in Europa e in America.
L'interesse dell'artista è da sempre rivolto verso l'indagine dell'identità femminile nel mondo contemporaneo e il suo lavoro presenta l'immagine del corpo della donna come polo di ammirazione e attrazione ma nello stesso tempo oggetto di schiavitù e frustrazione.
Tutto nasce per Vanessa Beecroft da un vissuto personale, e l'opera d'arte rappresenta una sperimentazione per misurare la propria emotività, una proiezione delle proprie ossessioni sulla corporeità, il fascino e il potere della seduzione fisica.
Beecroft ama collocare modelle, attrici, talvolta donne comuni incontrate per strada in spazi definiti con precisione (sale di palazzi e musei, gallerie): costruisce con rigida regia la scena, dove gruppi di donne vestite succintamente, in genere con la parrucca, restano immobili e indecifrabili nell'area che occupano, incuranti di ciò che le circonda, senza mai entrare in contatto con il pubblico. Alcune sono in piedi, altre sedute, i loro movimenti sono impercettibili e nessuna mossa risponde a un gioco di richiamo sessuale, semmai rimanda ai gesti di un automa, privato dell'anima.
Le installazioni, per cui l'artista si avvale di citazioni tratte da una serie di codici culturali appartenenti al cinema, alla pubblicità, alla moda, alla letteratura e all'arte, avvengono nel più totale silenzio e tutto sembra in attesa che si compia qualcosa, quando invece non succede niente durante le lunghe ore della performance. Ne risulta un'atmosfera stranamente fredda, misteriosa, che mette a disagio lo spettatore molto di più di come possano sentirsi imbarazzate le ragazze, osservate e studiate come se fossero "in vetrina".
Il tema del corpo si sfaccetta: serialità e unicità, omologazione e individualità, fascino e indifferenza, seduzione e solitudine: la bellezza è in funzione autoreferenziale e la giovinezza è breve sogno.

MOSTRE PERSONALI E PERFORMANCES:

2010

Carrara, Italy, VB67, Studio Nicoli

Naples, Italy, VB66, Mercato Ittico

2009

Milan, Italy, VB65, PAC Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea, March 16th

Long Island City, New York, USA, VB64, Deitch Projects, March 6th

2008

Los Angeles, USA, VBKW (VB63), ACE Gallery, Oct 14th

Palermo, Italy, VB62, Spasimo, June 12th

2007

Venice, Italy, VB61, Pescheria Di Rialto, June 8th

Bergamo, Italy, Pitture e disegni, GAMeC, May 9th – July 29th

Seoul, Korea, VB Retrospective, Ghana Art Gallery, Feb 28th – March 25th

Seoul, Korea, VB60, Performance, Shinsegae, Feb 26th

2006

Berlin, Germany, VBLV, Exhibition, 11th Art Forum, 9/30/06 – 10/04/06

Milan, Italy, VBSS, Exhibition Galleria Lia Rumma, 9/22/06 – 11/09/06

London, UK, VB59, Performance, National Gallery, May 25th 2006

Paris, France, VBLV, Exhibition, Espace Louis Vuitton, 01/12/06 – 03/31/2006

2005

Malaga, Spain, Vanessa Beecroft, VB53, Exhibition, CAC, November 9th 2005 – January 12th 2006

Miami, USA, VB58, Performance, Push Button House, Collins Park, Art Basel

Paris, France, VB57, Performance, Louis Vuitton Champs-Elysée

Paris, France, VB56, Performance, Louis Vuitton, Petit Palais

Berlin, Germany, VB55, Performance, Neue Nationalgalerie

Brescia, Italy, VB53, Exhibition, Galleria Massimo Minini

Naples, Italy, VB52, Exhibition, Galleria Lia Rumma

2004

New York, VB54, Performance, TWA Terminal Five, JFK airport. Exhibition: Terminal 5

Florence, Italy, VB53, Performance, Tepidarium, Giardino dell'Orticultura

Bielefeld, Germany, Retrospective Exhibition, Kunsthalle Bielefeld

2003

Turin, Italy, VB52, Performance and Retrospective Exhibition, Castello di Rivoli Museo di Arte Contemporanea

Paris, France, VB51, Exhibition, film premier, Cosmic Galerie

2002

Lisbon, Portugal, VB 45 & 48, Exhibition, Culturgest

Los Angeles, CA, VB46, Exhibition, Gagosian Gallery

Milan, Italy, VB 48, Exhibition, Galleria Lia Rumma

New York, NY, VB 45 & VB 48, Exhibition, Deitch Projects

Sao Paulo, Brazil, VB50, Performance, Sao Paulo Bienal, Exhibition: Cidades – Cities, March 24

Vinsebeck, Germany, VB51, Performance, Schlosspark Vinsebeck, Exhibition: Rauminszenierungen 2002. Gartenlandschaft Ostwestfalenlippe, August 31

2001

Genoa, Italy, VB 48, Performance, Palazzo Ducale, July 3

Los Angeles, CA, VB 46, Performance, Gagosian Gallery, March 17

Oslo, Norway, Museum of Contemporary Art

Paris, France, VB39 & VB42, Exhibition, Galerie Ghislaine Hussenot

Pscara, Italy, Ponti Sister, Associazione Culturale Vista Mare, June 30, Exhibition: Camera Italia, June 30

Venice, Italy, VB 47, Performance, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, June 10

Vienna, Austria, VB 45, Performance, Kunsthalle Wien, February 16

Vienna, Austria, Vanessa Beecroft, Galerie Meyer Kainer

2000

London, UK, Vanessa Beecroft VB XXX, Broadway Projects Trust and Gagosian Gallery

London, UK, VB 43, Exhibition, Gagosian Gallery, May 9

New York, NY, VBGD “W”, Exhibition, Deitch Projects

New York, NY, VB 42, Performance, “Intrepid: The Silent Service“, The Intrepid Sea - Air - Space Museum, Whitney Biennial, April 21

1999

Brescia, Italy, Galleria Massimo Minini

Geneva, Switzerland, VB38, Galerie Analix, March 27

San Diego, CA, VB39 “US. NAVY SEALs“, Performance, Museum of Contemporary Art, (MCA), June 5

Sydney, Australia, VB 40, Performance, Museum of Contemporary Art, (MCA), Exhibition: Vanessa Beecroft a John Kaldor Art Project, August 4-5

Tokyo, Japan, Galerie Deux

Tokyo, Japan, VB37, Performance, Wacoal Art Center, Exhibition: The 3rd Art Life 21 – Spiral TV, March 10

1998

Bologna, Italy, “Vanessa Beecroft – Shirin Neshat“, Galleria d'Arte Moderna, June 3 – August 30

Leipzig, Germany, VB36, Performance, Germany, Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst, Exhibition: Ontom, May 16

New York, NY, VB35 “Show“, Performance, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, April 28

Paris, France, VB35 film premiere, Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain

Paris, France, VB35, Exhibition, Galerie Ghislaine Hussenot

Stockholm, Sweden, Galerie Axel Mörner

Stockholm, Sweden, VB34, Performance, Moderna Museet, Exhibition: Wounds. Between Democracy and Redemption in Contemporary Art, February 12

1997

Athens, Greece, Galerie Jean Bernier

Boston, MA, VB31, Performance, Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), Exhibition: Enterprise, Venture and Process in Contemporary Art, July 22

Geneva, Switzerland, VB27, Performance, Galerie Analix, May 23

London, VB30, Performance, Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), Exhibition: Made in Italy

Lyon, France, VB29, Performance, FRAC, Le Nouveau Musee, Exhibition: Identite, June 26

Milwaukee, WI, Kunstmuseum

Mönchengladbach, VB32, Performance, Germany, Städtisches Museum Abteiberg, Exhibition: Niederrheinisches Herbstfest ‚97, September 20

Naples, Italy, VB26, Performance, Galleria Lia Rumma, April 3

Santa Fe, NM, VB30, Performance, Site Santa Fe, II Biennial, Exhibition: Truce: Echoes of Art in an Age of Endless Conclusions, July 18

Venice, Italy, Galleria Il Capricorno

Venice, Italy, VB28, Performance, XLVII Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte, Venice Biennial, Exhibition: Futuro, Presente, Passato, June 13

1996

Athens, Greece, VB17, Performance, The Dakis Joannou Collection, The Factory, Exhibition: Everything that’s interesting is new, January 20

Bordeaux, France, VB18, Performance, CAPC, Musee d'Art Contemporain, Exhibition: Traffic, January 25

Chicago, IL, VB19, Performance, The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago, Exhibition: Persona, March 10

Cologne, VB23, Performance, Germany, Ludwig Museum, Exhibition: Museumsfest, November 28

Eindhoven, Netherlands, VB25, Performance, Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Exhibition: ID. An international survey on the notion of identity in contemporary art, December 15

Fribourg, Switzerland, Fri Art, Centre d'Art Contemporain, Kunsthalle

Geneva, Switzerland, Galerie Analix

Milan, Italy, VB21, Performance, Galleria Massimo De Carlo, June 20

New York, NY, VB16, Performance, Deitch Projects, January 11

New York, NY, VB22, Miu Miu Store, Exhibition: Shopping, September 1

Paris, France, VB24, Performance, Galerie Ghislaine Hussenot, November 9

Philadelphia, PA, VB20, Performance, Institute of Contemporary Art, (ICA), Exhibition: You Talkin’ To Me?, May 13

Stockholm, Sweden, Galerie Tre

1995

Basel, Switzerland, VB13 “Play / Replica“, Basel Art Fair, June 1

Comune di Castelvetro di Modena, VB14, Performance, Italy, Inizio di Partita

Geneva, Switzerland, VB11, Performance, Galerie Analix, January 24, Exhibition; Play

Milan, Italy, Palazzina Liberty

Paris, France, VB15, Foundation Cartier pour L’Art Contemporain, Exhibition: Show must go on, les soirees nomades, November 30

Pescara, Italy, VB12, Performance, Associazione Culturale Arte Nova, Exhibition: Fuori Uso 95, June 11

1994

Cologne, Germany, VB09 “Ein Blonder Traum“, Galerie Schipper & Krome, November 11

Long Island City, NY, VB08 “Lotte im Kampf mit den Bergen“, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Exhibition: Winter Of Love, October 10

Milan, Italy, VB02 “Jane bleibt Jane“, Performance, Courtesy Fac-Simile, February 8

Milan, Italy, VB03 “Maedchen in Uniform“, Performance, Galleria Massimo De Carlo, April

Milan, Italy, VB10, Performance, VHS, Palazzina Liberty, December 1

New York, NY, VB07 “Lotte“, Andrea Rosen Gallery, Exhibition: Wolfgang Tillmans, October 4

Trevi, Italy, VB04 “Nicht Versoehnt“, Trevi Flash Art Museum, April 19

Rapolano Terme, Italy, VB05, Performance, Serre di Rapolano, Exhibition: “Grancia d’Argento“ XIII Edizione: Premio Internazionale d’Arte Contemporanea, May 8

Rivoli, Italy, VB06 “R. Und Auch P.“, Castello di Rivoli, Museo d'Arte Contemporanea, Exhibition: Soggetto Soggetto, una nuova relazione nell ’arte di oggi

1993

Milan, Italy, VB01 “Film“, Performance, Galleria Inga-Pin, Exhibition “Salon I ’93“

duetart gallery

vedi opere:
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