[oldboys] Female Geographies

[Ursula Biemann <geobodies@smile.ch>]

Mons Veneris: Female Geographies
opening Thursday 24 October 2002, 1830h
exhibition continues until 6 December 2002
Austrian Cultural Forum, 28 Rutland Gate, London SW7 1PQ
Monday–Friday 0900–1700h

Uli Aigner, Fiona Banner, Sadie Benning, Ursula Biemann, Anca Daucikova,
Marlene Dumas, Christina Della Guistina, Roza El Hassan/Milica Tomic, Sanja
Ivekovic, Susanna Jacobs, Le Tigre, Ly Lestberg, Marth/Ines Doujak, Mara
Mattuschka, Muda Mathis/Sus Zwick, Tanja Ostojic, Pipilotti Rist, Fiona
Rukschcio, Cindy Sherman, Mare Tralla

co-ordinator: Rosemarie Reitsamer
consultants: Anthony Auerbach, Anca Daucikova, Marina Grzinic, Sally Tallant

In the context of 'Highly Inspired', the Austrian Cultural Forum's season
for the year of the mountains, Mons Veneris presents an oblique view of the
culture of mountains: exploring transsexual geographies, border regions,
strategic locations, spaces of conflict and isolation, places where
identities are fragmented and overlap.

The exhibition brings together pioneering work by some of the women who
developed their artistic practice in the 1960s and 70s alongside a strongly
political feminist theory, with that of younger artists who made their
reputations in the 1990s or who are gaining recognition now in very different
circumstances. While, in the 'developed' economies of western Europe,
feminism has become mainstream and identity politics a 'lifestyle'
issue, this exhibition
investigates dissident feminisms and specific aesthetic strategies dealing
with sexuality, politics and daily life as well as the experience of women in
post-communist countries. East and central Europe have experienced sudden
political change and more than ten years of rapid economic reorganisation
during which contemporary artistic practices and discourses have been
assimilated
along with the other baggage of western capitalism. They have also experienced
some of the most brutal forms of identity politics and slowness of
social change.
The exhibition aims to show that art remains a site where identities can be
contested, desire is not always sublime and borders—like the supposed line
between art and pornography—are not so easy to draw.

Saturday 26 October, 2.00–6.00pm, Austrian Cultural Forum London
Coming Round the Mountain: Female Geographies discussion
An opportunity to discuss some of the issues raised by the exhibition, Mons
Veneris, and the aesthetic strategies that artists have adopted to deal with
their specific contexts and interests. How is political feminism in
post-communist countries affected by the headlong westernisation of the last
decade? What happens when identity politics becomes a 'lifestyle'
issue? How does
the globalised art world deal with female sexuality and dissident feminisms?
With artists and theorists Marina Grzinic (Ljubljana), Anca Daucikova
(Bratislava), Sanja Ivekovic (Zagreb) and Sally Tallant (London),
co-ordinated by Rosemarie Reitsamer (editor of Female Sequences, Vienna).

A special bi-lingual issue of Female Sequences: FrauenLesbenKulturHEFTig on
Female Geographies will be published in February 2003 containing
contributions from the participating artists and theorists.

Contact Rosemarie Reitsamer
e-mail: fem.seq@gmx.at
T: +44 20 7370 7976
Austrian Cultural Forum
28 Rutland Gate
London
SW7 1PQ
UK

--
Ursula Biemann
tel +41 01 461 20 84
http://www.geobodies.org


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