Orlan (b.1947, Saint Etienne, France)
Artist. Since 1965, she has implemented photography, video, installation, music and fashion into her artistic practice. Her research has focused on concepts of corporality, i.e. the technological and social practices of building a body. Orlan has been involved in numerous solo exhibitions and performances in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia. Her works have been showcased in countries worldwide, including the USA (LACMA and MOCA, Los Angeles, PS1, New York, Milred Kemper Art Museum, St Louis), Italy (Palazzo Strozzi, Florence and Palazzo delle esposizioni, Rome), France (Centre George Pompidou, Centre National de la Photographie, Palais de Tokyo, Maison Europeenne de la Photographie, Paris), Germany (Kunst Museum, Aachen, ZKM, Karlsruhe), Austria (Kunsthalle and MAK, Vienna), Luxembourg (Casino Luxemburg), Spain (Miro Foundation, Barcelona, the Contemporary Art Museum, Vittoria, the Museum of Photography, Salamanca) and Asia (the Center Hall of the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, The National Museum of Art, Osaka). Orlan became internationally recognized after a project consisting of 9 performances (1990-93) where she used the possibilities of plastic surgery as her artistic medium. She is the winner of several contemporary art awards, including the Arcimboldo Prize (Hewlett Packard, France) and first prizes at the Griffel-Kunst (Hamburg) and the Moscow Festival of Photography (Moscow). In 2003, she was conferred the honorary title of Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the Ministry of Culture of France. Since 1999, Orlan has been a professor at the ENSAPC (Ecole Nationale Superieur d’Art de Paris Cergy); since 2004, she has been teaching at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena (USA).