femmeuses
femmeusesaction #7.1 is one of the artistic platforms of the multi-form femmeuses project which was established as a research
project into the theoretic, artistic and historic interaction between
post-modernity in art, and the feminist, post-colonial and queer movements. It
is an artistic process determined by two basic aspects – research into history
and theory on the one side, and research into art on the other – and
implemented by way of reflection on numerous relations defined by feminist movements
during the 1970s together with the practices that were established in the
ensuing decades.
Although
feminist performances played a crucial role in 20th century art,
history has for a long time pushed them to one side. The decision to deal with
these specific feminist practices stems from interest in their ever-different
but always politics-related reinvestigations, as well as from the need to
re-engage. By appropriation and internal treatment of performances, the femmeuses
artistic collective embarks on discovering the specifics of woman's body and
its place both in society and art. Such is also true for femmeusesaction #7.1, a
performance bringing together texts, images, dance and videos, and arising from
the question ''Well, Is the Personal Political?'' posed at the Questions on
Women's Art conference in London back in November 1980. Visual artist and
art theorist Martha Rosler gave a long answer with a series of well-argumented
pros and cons.
Through
a series of scenes, the performers elaborate the theme, simultaneously
referring to Martha Rosler's work and her problematisation of the standards of
social beauty, images created by the media, as well as cultural stereotypes in
general. Her video entitled Sémiotics of
the Kitchen, which also forms part
of the performance, is a parody demonstration of cookery, and an ironic display
as to the meanings behind household gestures and utensils, which reveals that
constraint is concealed within these everyday objects.
Ana Perne
femmeuses: Cécile Proust, Martha Moore, Pascal Quéneau, Ghyslaine Gau,
Laurence Louppe & Jacques
Hoepffner (France)
Organisation: City of Women
In collaboration with: Cankarjev dom, Maska
With the support of: Institut français
Charles Nodier, Culturesfrance Paris
