Carlos Leppe

Why this artist matters now

Carlos Leppe was a Chilean performance and video artist whose work emerged in the 1970s under Pinochet's dictatorship. He used his own body as both subject and material, creating confrontational performances and video works that addressed surveillance, state control, and queer identity. His practice combined conceptual rigor with visceral physicality, often employing repetition and self-documentation to expose the mechanics of power and social repression. Leppe's work remained largely within Chilean artistic circles during his lifetime but has since gained recognition as a pioneering contribution to Latin American performance and video art.

Source: Moma Bulk 2026 05 04 · Trust score: 92% · Updated 1mo ago