Lorenza Böttner

This retrospective in Stuttgart and Barcelona offered a comprehensive study of Lorenza Böttner’s artistic estate. Böttner was an extraordinary artist in many ways. She was born in Chile to parents of German descent and christened Ernst Lorenz Böttner. At the age of eight, she lost both arms in an accident, and at age twelve, she moved to a town near Kassel with her family so that she could undergo a series of reconstructive surgeries. Her experiences of social exclusion due to her handicap, her struggle with HIV and her life as a transgender woman play a prominent role in her artworks. Despite her disability, Böttner was able to study painting at the University of Art in Kassel. Her art often blurs the boundaries between real life and performance, the street and the stage, painting and dance, and femininity and masculinity. Her works openly explore homo- and transsexual fantasies and celebrate the eroticism of the “disabled” body. In addition to carrying out conservatorial and restorative measures, the project presented some 200 works, along with personal and political documents which highlighted Böttner’s life and oeuvre. It was the first major exhibition to feature her extensive estate of photography, drawings, paintings, videos and performances. The project aimed to position Böttner’s works in relation to those of other contemporary artists. The exhibition was organised in cooperation with the La Virreina art centre and the Württembergischer Kunstverein in Stuttgart, and curated by Paul B. Preciado. Mr. Preciado exhibited works by Böttner for the first time at the documenta 14, and is meanwhile a recognised expert of Böttner’s oeuvre. The exhibition has been supplemented by an extensive catalogue and accompanying lecture programme.

Artistic director: Preciado (GR)