Marisol (Venezuelan and American, born France, 1930 – 2016) rose to prominence in 1960s New York with her colourfully painted wooden sculptures. The artist combined popular culture, Dada, folklore and self-portraits into unmistakeable and often satirical ensembles. In the art world she was regarded as enigmatic, beautiful and taciturn – characteristics that further shaped her public perception. From the 1970s onwards, she increasingly withdrew from the limelight, but remained active as an artist. She turned more and more to drawing, printing and photography.
Marisol’s works address central issues of her time – and ours – with an acute eye: the role of women, social inequality, consumer culture and our attitudes to power and celebrity. In the process, she successfully combines criticism with wit and visual impact. Despite creating a distinctive and innovative body of work over five decades, Marisol has been largely forgotten.
Now, the Kunsthaus Zürich is staging her first major retrospective in Europe, with around 100 works from all periods of her career. A rediscovery that demonstrates how relevant and powerful Marisol’s art remains to this day.
The exhibition is co-produced by Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, and Kunsthaus Zürich, and created in collaboration with the Buffalo AKG Art Museum.
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Ill.: Marisol, La visita (The Visit), 1964, Museum Ludwig, Cologne, © 2025, ProLitteris, Zurich, photo: Historisches Archiv der Stadt Köln mit Rheinischem Bildarchiv, Britta Schlier
