Last week I was opening my exhibition in Wrocław at Galeria Miejska. One of the parts of my "Hello, Modernity" exhibition was presented in the public space, a project called 'Feminist Hens', it was an installation with 17 ornamental hens - inflatable sculptures. The fragments of works shown in the Feministic Hens are citations, elements or interpretations of well-known female artists.The form of a hen was used in reference to the commonly used idiomatic phrase “kura domowa” [literally: domestic hen, a housewife] as a description of a woman, whose role comes down to taking care of the household and as a result of which often neglects her personal development. It is derogative term as it fits into the charge of parochialism, subjugation and becoming schematic. A domestic hen (bird) is a species that does not appear in natural environment — it was artificially created with an intention of being bred for eggs and meat. I tried, by applying to the Hens the imagery of “female” art, converts them into “ornamental hens” — marked by art. This amplifies the contrast between art — a symptom of high culture and “a domestic hen”, a role schematically applied to women, and directs attention to another matter — the stereotypical view of women’s art as ornamental, decorative, pretty and easy to understand, which is clearly contradicted by the fragments of the works — often unsettling, difficult and demanding in their reception.
Unfortunately 8 of Hens were stolen (and others destroyed) during the first night. The police were notified about the theft and after 2 days they found the culprits - two students. Still we don't know if it was just an act of vandalism or an organized operation.
You can see there a reportage about that !
No comments:
Post a Comment