Ewa Partum, Aktive Poesie, 1971–1973
Ewa Partum
Aktive Poesie

Ewa Partum (*1945, Poland, Germany) was one of the pioneers of conceptual art in Poland and an important influence on the development of feminist performance art from the beginning. According to her motto β€œan act of thought is an act of art,” her public actions and works on paper focus on the power of signs, the materialisation and the realignment of language, representation and mental images. Partum has been living and working in Berlin since 1983.

In the poetical actions of Aktive Poesie (Active Poetry), Partum challenges conventional literary methods and the artistic and political use of language. She uses letters cut out of white paper as symbols of a disintegrating text that exists only in her head. Her active poetry took place in many locations in Poland, both in urban settings and in nature, where she scattered letters on the ocean, or on a hill.

Courtesy Ewa Partum

Document media
8mm film, b&w, silent, 5:45 min

Issue date
1971-1973

Tags
dis/appearance, inscription, language, public space