Travolta, 2008

Joana Vasconcelos, a Paris-born Portuguese artist, is a well-known artist who has had over 1 million people visit her exhibition(s). Joana Vasconcelos’s work was inspired by the 1960’s Nouveau Realisme movement. She has based her creative process off of overthrowing everyday realities and objects. Most of her work can be associated with feminism and political and social issues. Joana Vasconcelos uses a variety of mediums that include sculptures, performance, video and photographic records, and installations. Joana Vasconcelos has attended a variety of art-events; some of these events include group exhibitions as well as single exhibitions. One of the most important art-events Joana attended was the 51st International Art Exhibition; this is the exhibition in which her work because internationally know. Another important art-event she attended was the 55th International Art Exhibition in which she showcased a project for the Pavlillion of Portugal called Trafaria Praia. One of Vasconcelos's most famous pieces is the A Noiva (The Bridge); this piece consists of a chandelier, which is 20 feet high, made out of tampons rather than glass bulbs and other relative material. In order to create this piece, she used everyday items and turned them into a piece of art; she used over 25 000 tampons to create this piece. (Artist website)