Eva Hesse: A Memorial Exhibition—on view at the Albright-Knox from March 6 to April 22, 1973—was the first inclusive showing of the artist’s work following her death in 1970. It presented a deep look at Hesse’s work, as well as her biography, in order to understand her working practices and artistic motivations.

The exhibition featured more than 80 works, which were on view in the Sculpture Court and three adjoining galleries. A Members’ Preview took place on March 5, 1973.

Eva Hesse was accompanied by a catalogue published by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, which organized the exhibition. It also traveled to the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston; and the Pasadena Art Museum.

Hesse was born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1936 and moved with her family to New York City in 1939. She first studied and worked as a painter, but turned decisively to sculpture in 1964. Her fusion of the forms and methods of so-called Minimal art with a self-described "obsessive" treatment of materials led her to develop a highly individual, expressionist sculpture.