Valie Export and the film series tributes in Berlin
Published on 08/25/2026 at 12:56 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Valie Export stands as one of the key figures of feminist performance and media art in postwar Europe. A curated film series in Berlin and a collection display in Krakow, documented by major institutions, underline how her works continue to shape debates around viewing, care and power.
Film series in Berlin
At PalaisPopulaire in Berlin, the curated film program OnView – Transformation runs from August 13 to September 21, 2026 and includes Valie Export's 1971 work Facing a Family alongside films by Lida Abdul, Vajiko Chachkhiani, Selma Selman, Sam Taylor-Johnson and Gernot Wieland, as the institution details in its current exhibition overview.
The series presents a total running time of 41 minutes, with Export's Facing a Family screened as a 4:44 minute contribution that foregrounds the act of watching television and the speechlessness it produces, according to the curatorial text at PalaisPopulaire.
Collection focus in Krakow
In Krakow, MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art highlights Valie Export within the permanent display Challenging Experiments on Self and Others, a presentation that draws on the museum's collection and positions her work as a key example of self-experimentation and social critique.
Under the heading Great Contemporaries: A Gift from Teresa and Andrzej Starmach, MOCAK signals Export as part of a broader constellation of postwar artists whose practices interrogate the body as both subject and medium, integrating her experiments into a long-term narrative of contemporary art.
Exhibitions, films and museum displays in overview
Further news pieces and background reports on Valie Export's film presentations and institutional tributes can be found in the AD HOC NEWS archive, which aggregates recent coverage across exhibitions and museum programs.
The work core and media practice
Export's practice spans performance, photography, film, installation and conceptual actions, with iconic works such as Tapp- und Tast-Kino, Körperkonfigurationen and Facing a Family pushing spectators to confront how bodies and images are regulated by social norms.
Where the artist stands now
Against this backdrop, museum and festival tributes in 2026, including film programs and collection displays, continue to frame Valie Export's work within current discussions of care, visibility and feminist critique.
Key facts on Valie Export
- Artist: Valie Export
- Medium / Genre: Performance, film, photography, conceptual art
- Born: 1940, Linz, Austria
- Place(s) of practice: Active in Vienna and internationally
- Active since: Late 1960s, with early performances and film actions
- Key work groups: Tapp- und Tast-Kino, Körperkonfigurationen, Facing a Family
- Current/last exhibition: Challenging Experiments on Self and Others, MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow, ongoing collection display
- Major collections: MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow, Albertina Museum (Vienna), VERBUND COLLECTION (Vienna), various European public collections
- Awards: Numerous honors for contributions to feminist media art, including national and international recognitions
- Next date: Museum and festival tributes across 2026 rather than a single fixed upcoming event
Frequently asked questions about Valie Export
Where is Valie Export's work currently on view?
Valie Export's film Facing a Family is part of the film program OnView – Transformation at PalaisPopulaire in Berlin, and her works feature in the MOCAK collection display Challenging Experiments on Self and Others in Krakow.
What is the focus of the Berlin film series featuring Valie Export?
The OnView – Transformation series at PalaisPopulaire brings together films that address different meanings of transformation in social and political contexts, with Export's Facing a Family highlighting television's role in shaping passive viewing.
How do museums frame Valie Export's contribution to contemporary art?
Museums such as MOCAK and Albertina emphasize her pioneering experiments with the body, media and feminist critique, integrating her work into permanent displays and thematic exhibitions that foreground self-experimentation and social analysis.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
