In Memoriam appears every Wednesday afternoon to honor figures recently lost in the art world.
Milan Knížák (1940–2026) was a Czech performance artist, sculptor, and musician. He was linked with the Fluxus movement and staged happenings and noise music concerts across the country. He later directed the Czech National Gallery in Prague from 1999 to 2011 and taught intermedia at the city’s Academy of Fine Arts.
In 2010, Knížák received the nation’s Medal of Merit. His work is represented in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, Tate Gallery in London, and others.
“His work challenged conventional understandings of art and its social function, while contributing to the formation of international artistic networks that transcended political and ideological boundaries,” the Museum of Contemporary Art Metelkova in Slovenia said in a statement. “His legacy continues to shape the history of postwar avant-garde art and its relevance today.”
Simone Forti (1935–2026) was a pioneering choreographer.
