Addie Wagenknecht

Addie Wagenknecht's artistic practice blends conceptual art with forms of hacking and gestural abstraction. 

Wagenknecht is known for pioneering the use of drones in painting and other mechanized forms of art in the early 2000s while based in New York. 

Her works are often recognized for their experimental co-creative aspects, exploring the relationship between technology and the vulnerabilities of being alive. Previous exhibitions and works held in permanent collections include the Centre Pompidou, Istanbul Modern, Whitechapel Gallery, Whitney Museum of American Art, and the New Museum in New York, among others. She has collaborated with CERN, Chanel, Coinbase, and Google's Art Machine Intelligence (AMI) Group. Her work has been featured in publications such as TIME, The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, Art in America, and The New York Times. Wagenknecht has held fellowships at Eyebeam Art + Technology Center in New York City, Culture Lab UK, Institute HyperWerk for Postindustrial Design in Basel (CH), and The Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry at Carnegie Mellon University.

Glass Ceiling, 2014- 
  •      Originally coined in the early 1980s, the glass ceiling metaphor describes the invisible barriers preventing women from reaching elite positions. Today, these barriers are measurable and quantifiable, yet they remain subtle and ingrained, echoing the idea that "those who do not move do not feel their chains."

    In her documentation and final works, the artist incorporates bulletproof glass panes, using various methods to break them that reflect the modern female experience. In "The Kiss," she engages with femininity and the notion of the 'female artist,' using her appearance to leave marks without causing damage. This piece critiques the pressure on women in the post-internet movement to rely on their physical looks.

    "Throwing Rocks" addresses the paradox of women critiquing the very culture they depend on, ultimately leading to a sense of loss. In "Cracked," she employs a cement block to break the glass while injuring herself in the process. Ironically, the visible crack—representing 'success'—is absent from the footage, highlighting the secretive and competitive nature of successful women and the often unseen costs of their achievements.