Elke Silvia Krystufek

1970 (Vienna)
Living in : Between Vienna and Berlin
Working in : Between Vienna and Berlin
Artist's gallery

Elke Silvia Krystufek is an Austrian multimedia artist who lives between Vienna, where she was born, and Berlin. She joined the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 1988, where she was deeply influences by the work of Arnulf Rainer, one of the pioneers of Viennese actionism from 1960s and 1970s. Elke Silvia Krystufek's works address the representation of sexuality and identity, often using her own body, and are known for sparking scandals. Notable is her provocative performance Satisfaction (1994), held at the Kunsthalle in Vienna, where she masturbated in front of a glass, exploring the boundaries between intimacy and exhibitionism, thereby legitimizing female pleasure. Elke Silvia Krystufek is also inspired by feminist artists such as Carolee Schneemann and Valie Export, who used their bodies to challenge social and artistic norms. Like them, Krystufek tackles topics such as the liberation of felinity and social taboos through works that incorporate autobiographical elements to highlight subjectivity and personal experience. Elke Silvia Krystufek began painting self-portraits in 1995, through which she explores themes of identity and celebrity.



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