Construction of Bodies

The group exhibition "Construction of Bodies" (2019) showcased the works of three Munich-based artists who thematically address corporeality, the modalities of the body and its cultural and socio-political inscription.

My curatorial aim was to challenge and dissolve the traditional notions of the "male" and "female" paradigms. The exhibition visualises corporeality as a fluid construct, with each artistic technique (photography, painting, and sculpture) reflecting the variance and individuality of body perception and physical expressiveness.

The dissolution of social and cultural connotations of bodily perception also casts a glance into the future. A future in which a body is no longer subject to biological conditions and limitations but crosses the boundary of its creation. The exhibition thus reflected not only the sociological imprints of body cultures but also the expansion of what is physiologically and biologically thought of as the defined, material body. With a touch of futurism, a glimpse was cast into a future in which the human body would become the product of scientific - i.e. no longer natural - production. Consequently, the body would no longer be subject to natural genetic coincidences but could be constructed at will and continuously changed/improved.

The exhibition was designed to stimulate the viewers' thoughts on what constructs the body as such, sparking a renewed reflection on their own bodies.

Alina Cara Frida: FEMINEI SEXUS

For Alina Cara Oswald (alias Frida), the artist Frida Kahlo symbolises the epitome of feminine ambiguity and strength. The adaptation of the name "Frida" serves Alina Cara Oswald as an identification with Kahlo's artistic and feminist legacy and is, at the same time, a homage to Kahlo's oeuvre.

In visual reference to Kahlo's self-portraits, Alina Cara Frida reinterprets the idea of femininity by liberating it from its coupling to the physical. With her portrait photographs of various personalities, she allows femininity to appear as a cross-gender force inherent in every human being.

Lukas Mletzko: APOTHEOSIS

In his works, the artist Lukas Mletzko questions the significance of the development of man towards a being that is indeterminate in every respect. He is concerned with whether man's immoderate desire for perfect control over his existence is developing into a form of apotheosis, his own deification. He visualises this thought in his works as the human being giving birth out of chaos. In his pictures, man is no longer fixed and limited by his biological existence but "programmes" himself from innumerable varieties of being to his supernatural ideal image. This endless variety of chaos, as opposed to the seemingly flawless perfection, is also reflected in the artist's painting style. The chaos in his works is translated into many different colours, forms and structures, whereas the elements of perfection are reminiscent of the mask-like icon painting of classicism.

The question he poses to the viewer is one of the meaning of being human in a world of perfection.

Georg Eichinger: ANDROGYN

Georg Eichinger's small-format alabaster and rosalite sculptures have a playful and unforced natural appearance. In dialogue with the material, the artist presents the body as intrinsically androgynous. Feminine and masculine attributes blend into something new and homogeneous - the human being itself in its totality and modality.

Playing with the androgyny of the human condition is not a new idea; it was already a significant and self-evident characteristic of artistic creation in the Renaissance. In the return to Michelangelo's "David," the question arises whether the normative of being human is not the division of individuals into gender groups but natural androgyny.

As a part of the immersive experience, a video presentation featuring the artist Alina Cara Frida was installed. This multimedia element allowed guests to watch a short film, a part of the photo project, on a monitor with headphones, enhancing their understanding and appreciation of the artwork.