valie export

in 1968 the austrian artist Waltraud Hollinger changed her name to valie export. export was the name of a popular cigarette brand. and in naming herself after a cigarette she seemed to want to light herself on fire with her work to keep up with other rather extreme viennese actionist artist of the time (people like günter brus, otto mühl, herman nitsch, and rudolf schwarzkogler ) who were cutting off limbs and whatnot to escape the bourgeoise or enter the annals of history. with her new name , valie export sought a new identity that was, she says, not bound “by her father’s name (lehner), or her former husband’s name (hollinger).” more here