Niki de Saint Phalle: A to 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.