:: DRESSING-UNDRESSING ::

ERATO'S VERSION

Curators: Maria Vassileva, Iara Boubnova
/On the idea of Adelina Popnedeleva and Alla Georgieva/

Background: Carnal love or erotics, is an ever subject matter in the history of art. In Bulgarian art as well there been made numerous attempts to formulate erotics through the language of art. Unfortunately, most the artists who have participated in such exhibition is male. Obviously the cliche that it is only man that love in an erotic way is quite persistent. The recent show to manifest its erotic character ("Erotic", March 1996, Seasons Gallery, Sofia), triggered afounded dissatisfaction among some female artists, expressed their desire to make an exhibition of their, where they could demonstrate the attitudes towards that are typical for the younger generation of artists in Bulgaria. Thus an "initiating committee" us to curate their desire/idea into an art exhibition.

Objectives: There is a taboo over the use of erotic matter by women. This theme is under anban in Bulgaria where the self-identification ofis present mainly in theoretical texts. Theof the exhibition is to present the point of view of "partner"- her feelings, sensations, aspirations and, as well as, her weaknesses. The exhibition would the first attempt to "voice out" the erotic theme in a visual from the point of view of female artists in Bulgaria.

Artists: Adelina Popnedeleva, Albena Michailova, Alla Georgieva, Andjella Minkova, Dimitrina Sevova, Elena Panaiotova, Yavora Petrova, Margarita Radeva, Mariela Guemisheva, Michaela Pudeva, Monika Fischer, Monika Romenska, Neli Gavrilova, Nina Kovacheva, Odilia Yankova, Silva Buchvarova, Slava Nakovska, Silvia Boyadjieva, Tanya Abadjieva, Zhana Behar.

Date: March 1997
Venue: 6 Shipka St. Gallery, Sofia
Consort program: "The Language of the in Today's Culture"

The Desires are on us, the labels - on you

Maria Vassileva

While we were installing this show the exhibition space was "visited" constantly by our colleagues from the opposite sex. They were looking for images of nude male bodies. Of course, if the participants in the show were males, we would have had to face their erotic feelings projected over numerous female genitals in various quite enterteining view points. In this case, the female artists in this show are offering an alternative by reversing the trend. They are investigating the roots of eroticism through their own selves rather than through the objects of their desire. That's why many works have autobiographical nature. The artists discovered, with a degree of resignated surprise, that in most cases the subject is interpreted through the "aesthetics of the kitchen". In Mariela Gemisheva's performance, titled "Hallo, Girls!", the kitchen-bed was glorified and here, just like in most of the works, the accumulated resistence against the identification of the woman with the domestic sphere or in other words, with her main purpose "to be a good wife and a mother", prevailed. Such a personal angle towards the issue is obviously needed by all participants as an initial push in the direction of "purification". At the end catharsis comes from fear but also from compassion or in this case - self-compassion. All of this is, thank God, accompanied with the appropriate tuch of irony. And also with a specific treatement of kitch as an unavoidable part of the erotic status quo, as well as, of the iamge of the female in the mass consciousness. "Erato's Version" offered an opportunity to talk about the formation of a female language in Bulgarian contemporary art which is distinguished by an ironical outlook towards the ego. When in the process of planning for this show we didn't not see it as a femonistic one at all. Gradually, however, the works themselves started to be transformed by outer gazes, as well as, by the awakened inner passions. Actually the label "feministic" was imposed by the viewers which in itself comes to prove that the problem is a relevant one.

Adelina Popnedeleva
Ready-Made

I Belive in the Power of Love

Albena Michailova
Portraits

Alla Georieva
The Self-Portrait as a sexual-culinary object

An object with utilitarian function

Andjella Minkova
Untitled

Dimitrina Sevova
Extraction of the personal

Elena Panaiotova
Bourdalou

Iavora Petrova
Erato

Margarita Radeva
Untitled I

Mariella Gemisheva
Hello, Girls

Michaela Padeva
Good Morning

Monica Fischer
Untitled

Monika Romenska
August 3, 1995

Silva Bachvarova
Hunting Season

Silvia Boyadjieva
Lace and Astrakhan

Tania Abadjieva
Untitled

Zhana Behar
Me and the Competition