Elisabeth Charlotte Rist was born in 1962 in Grabs, Sankt Gallen, in Switzerland. Since her childhood she has been nicknamed Pipilotti. The name refers to the novel Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren. Rist studied at the Institute of Applied Arts in Vienna, through 1986. She later studied video at the School of Design (Schule für Gestaltung) in Basel, Switzerland. In 1997m her work has been featured in the Venice Biennial for the first time, where she was prized with the Premio 2000. 1998 through 1994 she was member of the music band and performance group Les Reines Prochaines. In 2002 she was invited by Professor Paul McCarthy to teach at UCLA. In the United States, Rist is represented by the Luhring Augustine Gallery in New York City. In Europe she is represented by Hauser & Wirth, of London and Zurich. Her work is held by very respectable museums and collectors around the world. During her studies Pipilotti Rist started to make super 8 films. Her works last generally only a couple of minutes, and altered in their colors, speed, and sound. Her works generally treat issues related to gender, sexuality, and the human body. In contrast to those of many other conceptual artists, her colorful and musical works transmit a sense of happiness and simplicity. Rist's works was initially considered by feminist art critics. Nowadays, her works are owned by the most important art collections worldwide.