Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002) made a name for herself on the international art scene during the late 1950s and early 1960s and was a key figure in the new generation of young artists who, at the beginning of the 1960s, were redefining the boundaries of what an artwork could be. Saint Phalle had a clear sociopolitical agenda and feminist commitment throughout her career, and to an increasing degree, she worked in close dialogue with society and her audience, inviting them into monumental architectonic constructions in public settings.

This catalogue, published to accompany the exhibition at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Norway, explores the different facets of this pioneering artist’s practices; her feminist commitment, her public art, her role as a muse for the fashion giant Dior, as well as her interest in film and theatre.