ULAY was a pioneering artist who redefined the boundaries of Polaroid photography, performance art, and the interplay between the two. His art, regardless of medium, was a force of disruption, challenging conventions, pushing limits, and confronting uncomfortable truths about identity, the body, and society.

Born Frank Uwe Laysiepen in Solingen, Germany, in 1943, ULAY left his homeland in the late 1960s for Amsterdam, where he became involved with the Provos, a Dutch anarchist movement. This period of social and political activism laid the groundwork for his lifelong commitment to challenging norms and questioning authority.

As a consultant for Polaroid International Amsterdam, ULAY had access to a wealth of photographic resources. He began experimenting with the Polaroid camera, not merely as a tool for documentation but as an active participant in his artistic process. He coined the term "performative photography" to describe this approach, where the act of taking the photograph became an integral part of the performance itself. Through his "Auto-Polaroid" series, he explored themes of identity, gender, and the transformative potential of the body, often using his own image as the subject. He manipulated his appearance in myriad ways, questioning traditional notions of masculinity and femininity.

ULAY's photographic approach became increasingly performative, culminating in a series of five "Fototot" ("photo-death") performances in 1975/76. These actions, some public and some private, further blurred the lines between photography and performance. He used these performances to question the role of the audience and to demonstrate the transient nature of identity, even within the seemingly fixed medium of photography. As he stated, "I wanted to demonstratively bury photography."

Before embarking on his renowned collaboration with Marina Abramović, ULAY executed the iconic action Irritation - There Is a Criminal Touch to Art (1976) in Berlin. This carefully planned performance involved stealing a painting from a museum and placing it in the home of a Turkish family, highlighting issues of social injustice and cultural appropriation. This action, born from an "urge to act," reflected his ongoing engagement with social and political issues.