Identity formation and its mediation by culture are the two recurrent themes of the work of the photographer and video artist Candice Breitz (born 1972).

Throughout her early work in photography and collage, and in her more recent complex video installations, the Berlin-based South African artist has consistently picked apart the insidious effects of mass media and popular culture, role play and gender construction on the most intimate constructions of the self. These themes form the cornerstone of The Scripted Life, a full assessment of Breitz’s work which showcases early works alongside more recent installations, including New York, New York, a new piece co-commissioned by the Kunsthaus Bregenz with Performa 09.

Essays by Beatrice von Bismarck, Colin Richards and Okwui Enwezor address various aspects of Breitz’s oeuvre. Each work is introduced individually with a text by Edgar Schmitz, making The Scripted Life the most comprehensive publication on Breitz to date.