Vanessa Beecroft (b. 1969, Genoa, Italy) is an Italian-American artist known for her provocative and controversial performances and visual works. Born in Switzerland, she grew up in Italy and later moved to the United States. Her multicultural background and experiences have influenced her art, particularly her exploration of identity, the body, and societal expectations around beauty.

Beecroft work often explores themes of body image, the female form, and the concept of beauty, using live models and minimalist staging. Her work frequently incorporates elements of fashion, and she is often associated with the fashion world due to her close collaborations with designers, particularly during the 1990s and 2000s.

Some of her most famous works involve using groups of nude or semi-nude women, positioned in highly controlled, almost sculptural formations. These performances can evoke powerful questions about the gaze, objectification, and the relationship between art and fashion.

She’s also known for her work with various fashion houses, where she would stage live art pieces at runway shows or events. Her performances often blurred the lines between art, fashion, and performance art, creating a tense, charged atmosphere. Her work has been both praised for its intensity and critiqued for its apparent exploitation of the female body. With her provocative style a point of debate in contemporary art discussions.

Vanessa Beecroft’s exhibitions include VB52 (1993) at the Venice Biennale in Italy, VB55 (1997) at Gagosian Gallery in New York, VB62 (1999) at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, and Giardino (2014) at Fondazione Prada in Milan, Italy. Later exhibitions of Vanessa Beecroft’s work include VB67 (2003) at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, VB70 (2007) at Palazzo Grassi, Venice, and VB74 (2010) at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Rome. She also exhibited VB77 (2013) at the HangarBicocca, Milan, and VB82 (2017) at the Galerie Perrotin, Paris.

Vanessa Beecroft work is part of part of UK/NY, a touring programme curated by Film and Video Umbrella and funded by Arts Council England.