Anne Imhof on the influences behind her performances, now in London
What shapes a practice that can move from a drawing to a durational performance, then into sculpture, film, and installation without losing its charge? In a new podcast conversation with Ben Luke, German artist Anne Imhof (b. 1978) traces the cultural and artistic references that have informed her work, from early teachers in Giessen to writers, choreographers, and fellow artists who continue to shape her thinking.
Imhof is best known for large-scale performances built from extended durations and ensembles of dancers, musicians, and actors. Her works often unfold through fragmentary gestures, speech, and song, creating tableaux that feel at once tightly composed and unsettled. The conversation turns on that tension: how structure and improvisation coexist, and how trust among collaborators becomes part of the work itself.
The artist also discusses the role of drawing as a foundation for her wider practice. That thread runs through her work in painting, sculpture, sculptural installation, and film, all of which place the viewer’s body under pressure in different ways. Some works address the audience directly; others suggest barriers, systems of control, or images too large to take in at once.
Among the figures Imhof names are Michelangelo, whom she first encountered through copying exercises encouraged by teachers who recognized her talent for drawing, as well as Tino Sehgal and William Forsythe. She also cites Cameron Rowland, Arthur Jafa, Juliane Rebentisch, Franz Kafka, and Robert Bresson, whose screenplays she particularly admires.
The podcast arrives as her exhibition “Citizen” is on view at Sprüth Magers in London until August 1. It also sits alongside Bloomberg Connects, the arts and culture platform sponsoring the series and offering digital access to institutions including Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin, Palais de Tokyo in Paris, and MoMA PS1 in New York. On the MoMA PS1 guide, listeners can also find material on the sixth edition of “Greater New York,” which includes 53 artists and collectives working in the New York area.
Taken together, the conversation offers a clear view of how Imhof builds meaning: through the friction between discipline and spontaneity, and through a wide field of references that extends well beyond performance alone.
