Anu Põder (1947-2013) is one of Estonia’s most revelatory voices of the last five decades. Her work has stood out since the 1970s as uniquely crafted, originally conceived, and deeply personal. Yet, because it was somehow out of sync with the then established art landscape in Estonia, it has been overlooked for many years. Põder is known for exploring the human body, highlighting the fragility, impermanence, and ephemerality of life in a series of highly evocative sculptures. Throughout her career, she employed unconventional materials such as textile, wax, plaster, soap, plastic, and wood to compose delicate assemblages. Working at the cusp of two major eras – the Soviet occupation of Estonia, which began in 1940, and the new independence gained in 1991 – Põder embraced the uncertainty of identity of the Estonian people, working as one of the very few women artists in a decidedly male context and focusing on female subjectivity alongside other international artists such as Magdalena Abakanowicz, Louise Bourgeois, Ana Mendieta, and Alina Szapocznikow.
Exhibition of Anu Põder: Space for My Body at Muzeum Susch curated by Cecilia Alemani is the first major retrospective of the artist outside of her native country providing a comprehensive overview of her artistic career and a thought-provoking narrative highlighting her original contribution to the development of post-war art.
The one-day symposium devoted to the work of Põder, organised as part of the exhibition, and accompanying the artist’s monograph, aims to enhance the international reception of the artist’s oeuvre and present it within a broader context open to new enriching interpretations.
Anu Poder: Space for My Body
Jan 3 – Jun 30, 2024
Muzeum Susch
Susch, Switzerland
