Niki de Saint Phalle: A-Z

A creative index of key terms and concepts in Saint Phalle's oeuvre

Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002) loved creative taxonomies, often creating arrangements of terms and pictograms as artworks. In one work, under the heading I Love, the sign of a snake can be found next to the emblem for justice, with an orange spot for the corresponding color next to two stars as a symbol for astrology. Niki de Saint Phalle A-Z takes the same liberty and puts the many facets of Saint Phalle's work into the order of the alphabet. This logical order is deceptive, though. From A as in AIDS to Z as in Zurich Angel, from B as in Bride to V as in Vanitas, a mosaic of concepts emerges that explores the various levels of meaning in her manifold oeuvre and playfully engages them in mutual commentary.
Katharina Sykora (born 1955) is a German art historian and curator specializing in the intersection of painting, photography and film; visual constructions of gender and authorship; and mind and affect.