With the most extensive collection of Pop Art outside North America, the Museum Ludwig is known for its links to the United States–a country that will celebrate 250 years of independence in 2026. This exhibition centers on two contemporary American artists: Marie Watt, and Wendy Red Star.
Wendy Red Star's (b. 1981) photographic self-portraits humorously and satirically address Western notions of indigeneity and invite us to take a more nuanced view. “I am Apsáalooke, I come from a specific district, and my work is grounded in Apsáalooke history. But within institutions, this label does not function as a description. It functions as a container. The category ‘Native artist’ reshapes the work before anyone even sees it. (…)” Wendy Red Star: The Foe Manuscript (excerpt). Born in Seattle in 1967, Marie Watt is a member of the Seneca Nation, now living in Portland, Oregon. In some Indigenous traditions, the Americas (or even the entire world) are known as Turtle Island. The corresponding creation stories are passed on orally from generation to generation.