A poster titled After Courbet, L'Origine du monde, colloquially known as EU Panties, triggered a significant political controversy in Vienna during the winter of 2005. The work, which displayed the artist in blue underwear decorated with European Union stars, was selected for public exhibition to mark the Austrian presidency of the Council of the European Union before public outcry forced its removal.
Early Background and Identity
Born in 1972 in Titovo Užice, Yugoslavia, Tanja Ostojić is a multimedia and conceptual artist recognized for her work in painting, photography, and performance. While she maintains Serbian citizenship, she frequently declines to associate herself with a single nationality. Her creative output draws heavily upon her personal experiences as a traveler and her status as a non-European Union citizen, exploring the complex dynamics of movement and borders.
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Between 2000 and 2003, Ostojić conducted an online performance piece titled Looking for a husband with a EU passport. Through this work, she addressed the bureaucratic hurdles faced by women from south-eastern Europe seeking residency in the EU, frequently framing marriage as a form of institutionalized dependency. The project culminated in an actual marriage to a Cologne-based artist, followed by a documented separation in 2005 presented as a continuation of her online performance.
Institutional Confrontations
At the 2001 Venice Biennale, Ostojić executed a performance titled I'll Be Your Angel. The work involved shadowing the independent curator Harald Szeemann for several days, maintaining a consistent, fond smile. The interaction was not well-received by the curator, who subsequently excluded her from all future projects under his direction. Her practice often centers on the perceived arrogance of EU administrative structures regarding the integration of neighboring regions.
Fast facts
- Born: 1972, Titovo Užice, Yugoslavia
- Primary occupations: Artist, painter, performance artist
- Notable performance: I'll Be Your Angel (2001)
- Controversial work: After Courbet, L'Origine du monde (2005)
- Citizenship: Yugoslavia/Serbia
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of the EU Panties poster?
It served as a satire of Gustave Courbet's painting, intended to critique the restricted access for foreign women in the European Union.
Why did Harald Szeemann exclude Ostojić from his projects?
He reacted negatively to her 2001 performance piece, I'll Be Your Angel, in which she followed him for days while smiling at him.
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