Rebecca Horn, an influential figure in contemporary art, passed away in September 2024 at the age of 80, leaving behind a legacy that reshaped the boundaries of body art, sculpture, and performance. Horn’s artistic practice deeply explored the body’s relationship to its environment, incorporating themes of vulnerability, transformation, and the fusion of human and machine.
Horn first rose to prominence in the 1970s with her pioneering body extensions, such as Einhorn and Finger Gloves, which emphasized the limitations and extensions of the human body. These early works were instrumental in the feminist and performance art movements. Her later pieces, including large-scale mechanical sculptures and immersive installations, reflected her interest in technology, choreography, and the spatial dynamics between bodies and objects.
A comprehensive retrospective at the Haus der Kunst in Munich, launched just months before her death, showcases the full range of her multidisciplinary career. The exhibition highlights her shift from body-centered performances to her recent immersive installations, including The Peacock Machine (1982) and Circle for Broken Landscape (1997), where she deconstructs space, sound, and light.
Rebecca Horn’s death marks the end of a profoundly innovative career, but her influence on body art and integrating sculpture with performance and film will continue to resonate.
