Eva Wipf: Seismograph in Night and Light

Hi Christian, could you tell us a little about yourself and your connection to Eva Wipf?

CM: My name is Christian Michelsen. I’ve had a stand since 1972 in Zurich, near the lake at Bürkliplatz marketplace. That’s also when I first met Eva as a client. She visited my stand often because she liked my display. I sell old and unique things, which seemed to resonate with her.

What was your first impression of her?

CM: She was a small, slim woman who often wore blue trousers, which was quite unusual at the time. She had very dark brown eyes and a very strong, expressive face. There was something striking about her presence.

We’ve heard her home was filled with objects. Did you visit her house, and if so, what was it like?

CM: Yes, when she bought big and heavy things, she asked me to bring it into her house which was about 30 kilometres from Zurich. It was a small house which felt like an object in itself. For example, her kitchen was like an alchemist’s laboratory – so much so that you couldn’t cook there anymore. We often ended up going to a restaurant for soup because neither of us had much money at the time.

Where was she born, and what was her relationship with her family?

CM: Eva was born in 1929 in Santo Ângelo do Paraiso, Brazil. Her father was a missionary, and in 1949, when the family needed to return to Brazil, Eva refused to go with them. This was quite exceptional for a young girl at that time. She struggled with the narrow-minded religious views of her father, and that suffering often came through in her work.

How did her personal experiences influence her art?

CM: Eva had a Christian upbringing which was very restrictive. She wanted to break free from those constraints, to “scratch the curtains in the temple”. Once she wrote, “I like to paint for everybody.” and she really did it. Her work incorporated religious symbols but also broader themes, which made her work so strong.

How did the war influence her work?

CM: She lived near the German border, where many significant events took place during the war. She was very shocked when the war was finished that nobody was talking about all these very dreadful things that had happened. This inspired her to create shrines and other works that addressed those themes.

How would you describe Eva’s work?

CM: Eva collected everyday objects from markets and gave them new sense. She used items like kitchen objects and birdcages and put them together in unexpected ways. She learned by doing and her assemblages were innovative at the time. She believed if you want to do something there is always a way to do it.

Did she live with other people or did she live alone?

CM: Eva lived alone and didn’t have a partner. In 1978, on a Saturday morning, I was expecting her at the market, but she didn’t turn up. Later, I heard that she had passed away from a heart attack that day. She was only 49 years old.

Did she keep a diary? If so, could you share some excerpts or quotes from her writings?

CM: Yes, Eva kept a diary from the age of 17. There she wrote, “I’ve lost myself in light, which acts on pleasure and pain like a seismograph. I would never lose this sensitivity, even though it is often painful. I want to be a seismograph in night and light, even if I would break on it.”

Experience Eva Wipf’s thought-provoking works in The Traumatic Surreal, on display at the Henry Moore Institute from 22 November 2024 until 16 March 2025.