"The Birth of the Nanas: Niki de Saint Phalle's Works from the 1960s"
2003-08-24 until 2003-11-02
Sprengel Museum
Hannover, , DE

Niki de Saint Phalle kindly donated about 400 of her artworks to the Sprengel Museum Hannover in 2000. This collection includes elements from all of her significant artistic periods; it has been given the title 'La Féte - A Gift From Niki de Saint Phalle', and will be on view to the public for the first time. This retrospective includes all phases of the artist's development in the 1960s, from her paintings and taboo-breaking 'shooting pieces' in her role as the 'Diana of Montparnasse', to the dawn of the famous Nanas.

Niki Mathews (née de Saint Phalle) moved from the US to Paris with her husband, Harry, and daughter, Laura in 1952. The young family travelled extensively in Europe. Niki Mathews then had a nervous breakdown in Nice. One year later, she commenced working as an artist, creating her first drawings and paintings. The young painter had her first exhibition in St. Gallen in 1956.

IMAGE
Nana noire, upside down
1965-66
peinture, laine, tissu sur grillage
150 x 105 x 108 cm
musée d’Art moderne et d’Art contemporain, Nice
donation de l’artiste
photo Archives Niki de Saint Phalle

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for Germany

Other Important Exhibitions in Germany