Gaze At Me
vanaf 21/06/2015 tot en met 09/07/2015
[Nederlands]
The gaze is that which identifies and defines, it is a term popularized by psychologist Jacques Lacan and refers to “the anxious state that comes with the awareness that one can be viewed”. In terms of forming an identity, the gaze makes us think about the way we see ourselves but also how we are seen by others. The gaze also refers to questions of gender and sexuality, historically speaking the typical viewer of artwork was male, this is referred to as ‘the male gaze’ and it is important when considering the way gender is presented in art.
Gender (and sexuality) is an important term when describing identity and there are many different theories on how gender constructs are formed. The way we see the masculine and the feminine is questioned in the work of American philosopher and gender theorist Judith Butler, who describes gender as ‘performative’, meaning we act out our genders the way actors act out their scenes.
Currently the lines between male and female and perceptions of sexuality are being questioned; the dialogue surrounding the transgender community and the rise of support for same sex marriages represents a shift in our understanding of gender and sex. ‘Gaze at me’ considers questions of gender and sexuality pertaining to identity, featuring works from a selection of young artists working with these issues.
‘Gaze At Me’ will also feature an accompanying publication (released at the end of the exhibition) that will focus on the philosophical aspects and themes of performativity and the gaze in art. This is made in collaboration with exhibiting artists and artist and curator Laura Abbink who has also been invited to take on the role of observer, offering her observations on the exhibition as a whole.
Opening
Sunday 21 June 2015, 15:00 (with a reading of Adrian Bridget and a openings speech by Zoe Kate Reddy)
Side program
Publication ‘Identity, a Warm Gun?‘, edition #2
Blog ‘From Here It Looks Clear.wordpress.com‘
curator
Zoe Kate Reddy
deelnemende kunstenaars
Alli Coates and Signe Pierce
Samantha Conlon
Vanessa Omoregie
Adrian Bridget
Laura Abbink
Identity A warm gun?
Naar aanleiding van de aan elkaar gerelateerde tentoonstellingen ‘Emphasize Me’ en ‘Gaze At Me‘ wordt in deze uitgave (on)mogelijkerwijs gereflecteerd op het begrip identiteit, de eigen identiteit en op identiteit versus het kunstenaarschap. Nadenken over je identiteit, dat wat eigen is aan jou, is tevens nadenken over die van anderen en dat wat je onderscheidt van anderen. […]