Annette Messager

Who is Annette Messager?

Annette Messager is a French artist who was born on 30 November 1943 in Berck. Messager is known mainly for her installation work which often incorporates photographs, prints and drawings, and various materials. Messager has exhibited and published her work extensively. She is the partner of artist Christian Boltanski.

Messager attended the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, France but was eventually asked to leave because she spent her time at museums and movie theaters instead of going to class.

In 2005, her work was featured in the French Pavilion of the Venice Biennale, where she won the Golden Lion for her Pinocchio-inspired installation that transformed the French pavilion into a casino. One of her most famous pieces is her exhibition The Messengers, which showcases a series of toy-like, hand knit animals in costumes. For example, some of the animals' heads were replaced by heads of other stuffed animals to reflect the ways in which humans disguise themselves or transform their identities with costume. She had a solo exhibition at the Centre Georges Pompidou in 2007.

Her work is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.