Gina Pane (1939–1990) is acknowledged as one of the first artists to use her body as the medium for her practice through live works or Actions she began in the late 1960s. She became well known for this highly charged body of work, particularly her 1970s live Actions that were meticulously orchestrated to communicate viscerally and visually, often incorporating the gesture of small cuts made into her skin, marking an indelible exchange between herself and the viewer. Pane’s Actions became the subject of critical texts and theoretical analysis. Alongside newly translated interviews and writings by Gina Pane, this anthology presents a unique collection of contemporary and art historical texts. The anthology is compiled to track a chronological survey of the decades since the Actions took place in the 1970s and includes seminal writings that are translated into English for the first time. New writings and interviews with artists and curators illuminate Gina Pane’s legacy and continuing significance in the present time. The anthology is intended for a wide readership, from artists, art historians, performance artists, performance historians, students of art, history of art, art theory, choreography and photography, exhibition historians, art collectors, museum and gallery curators, visitors and employees.
This anthology explores Gina Pane (1939-1990), a pioneering artist who used her body as medium through Actions involving small skin cuts. It features newly translated interviews, writings, and critical texts tracking the reception of her work since the 1970s, illuminating her enduring significance in contemporary art discourse.
