Pipilotti, herself

Artist Pipilotti Rist has a new video installation up at MoMA, Pipilotti Rist: Pour Your Body Out (7354 Cubic Meters). As is often the case with contemporary artists, there's not much in the way of books I can recommend on Rist (aside from the usual exhibition catalogue suspects). I did check out Pipilotti Rist Congratulations! which is nicely done, if also pretty limited. Half is documentation of a work she did at Magasin 3 Stockholm Konsthall in Sweden, and half is an interview with Rist, part of which offers this insight, telling especially of her early work:

"Rist: ...That old fashioned idea that you have to suffer to be an artist is certainly true of this work [Selfless In The Bath Of Lava] ... This is the difference between art and anonymous cultural production such as advertising. In art the artist is ultimately required to stand next to his work and without words say: I went to a lot of trouble to choose and reduce this for you. He is baring his cheek to others. This always make him vulnerable, open to criticism. I often wonder why art is so closely linked to individual names. We've already spoken about the negative aspects of the name cult. The reason is surely because there is then this one person who is responsible."

Aside from any books, I also highly recommend checking out the available video clips of Rist's work at UbuWeb. The first piece in the loop especially, I'm Not The Girl Who Misses Much, is a seminal work. One of her earliest and most lasting, like a car wreck of awkward social behavior, I think it still fascinates.