“Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum?” In 1989, the renowned feminist art collective Guerrilla Girls (b. 1985) posed this question to the public. Beneath the words was a reproduction of French artist Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres’ (1780-1867) famous oil painting Grande Odalisque (1814). A gorilla mask covers the face of a woman, who poses sensually on a bedspread. Hard-hitting statistics accompany the text and image. At the time, less than 5% of artists in the Modern Art section of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Museum, New York, were women, whilst a staggering 85% of nudes were female. The piece spoke to an art world where women were admired as objects of beauty but not recognised as artists in their own rights. Now, Fotografiska Tallinn explores this topic in NUDE. The group exhibition spotlights 32 female artists – from Prue Stent & Honey Long to Brooke DiDonato and Yushi Li – who explore this time-honoured theme. As the creative forces behind the camera, they are reclaiming the body and the gaze. We are delighted to share this interview Johan Vikner, Global Director of Exhibitions at Fotografiska, and Maarja Loorents, Head of Exhibitions at Tallinn, who share insights into this groundbreaking show.
A: Could you set the scene for this exhibition – in what ways has the nude body typically been represented in art history?
JV: In art, we have mostly been presented with the same kind of nude through history – the generally considered beauty of the time. This has been a focus most often decided and depicted by men, and intended for an audience of men. Our exhibition asks: What if we could press reset here and now? What does the new contemporary nude looks like? How is it used? Free from its biased historical constraints, what does the nude tells us about society today?
A: NUDE is a shift away from the male-centred gaze and looks at how 32 female artists have explored this theme. Could you spotlight work from some of the exhibitors?
JV: Some artists in the show are actively working to oppose the traditional male-centered gaze, where others are completely breaking free from tradition and creating new gazes, free from historical influence and constraints. One example is Dana Scruggs’ intimate portraits of Black male bodies, often targets of prejudice and biased representation of violence. Here, they are instead portrayed in all their beauty and vulnerability. Another example is Julia SH’s portraits of plus size models in classical poses and contexts, reclaiming their absent place in history.
A: How did you land on this theme for this show?
JV: The themes in the exhibition came quite naturally in the process of shaping a story around this topic. In order for us to show the broad scope of the nude, in all aspects and perspectives that it touches, we had to look at artists from around the world to capture even a small part of this very large theme. The nude body has long represented beauty and reflected beauty standards. It has also spoken to our relationship with each other, the natural world and belief systems through history. But today it is also one of the strongest symbols and representations of our relationship with ourselves, with identity, representation, diversity and gender – and is an avenue for questioning all the traditional perspectives. This is what we wanted to capture through the many artistic visions represented by the participating artists.
A: Work from London-based photographer Yushi Li (b. 1991) is on display. She’s known for exploring the gendered gaze through the lens. Could you tell us more about her images here?
JV: Yushi Li actively plays with roles in her imagery. Gender roles within the work, active vs passive roles in interaction and our role as voyeurs observing her protagonists and their relationships. Through classic imagery she draws us into her world by reversing the traditional gendered gaze. She challenges biases and traditions through her smart humour.
A: Brooke DiDonato (b. 1990) is another image-maker to see. Her compositions are imaginative and surreal. How does her work fit into NUDE? Could you tell us more about her pieces?
JV: Brooke DiDonato is using the body as a beautiful sculptural element in her art. She doesn’t distinguish between bodies but is using them naturally and neutrally to sculpt the visions she creates. Her work is a beautiful part of this exhibition, showing various human bodies of equal value that become one.
A: NUDE now comes to Tallinn from Fotografiska Berlin – what have the responses been to this exhibition so far?
JV: The response to the exhibition has been very positive. NUDE has been met with a lot of interest and curiosity from the audiences that have seen it on its tour. I think a lot of people can recognise themselves, their own questions and values through the works of the participating artists, which has been fantastic to see in various countries and cultures.
ML: Our mission at Fotografiska is to raise important questions and highlight pain points in society through the power of photographic art. We also enjoy pushing boundaries, both in our own perspective and that of our visitors, with the hope that worldviews expand and hearts remain open to differences and diversity. Therefore, when we chose the NUDE exhibition, we understood from the very beginning that it would ignite passions and spark discussions in society. We are, of course, ready to receive various opinions and comments about the NUDE exhibition – it’s always welcome when our exhibition program resonates with and inspires the audience. We are convinced that such exhibitions should be created, and we will certainly continue to do so in the future.
A: What upcoming shows can we look forward to at Fotografiska Tallinn?
ML: In a given year, we present approximately 10 new photography exhibitions in Tallinn. It’s always important for us to have a cohesive set of exhibitions on display. This means that there are usually 3-4 different exhibitions open simultaneously, and in creating our program, we strive to cater to a wide range of target audiences and showcase something bold that opens new perspectives and addresses various pain points. Therefore, there is always something in this collection that meets the expectations of discerning art audiences, featuring legends of the photography world as well as rising stars, along with content that resonates with children and families. Among the international names, we also represent our local talent from the Estonian photography scene. In November, we will open a solo exhibition by Shepard Fairey in Tallinn, and the new year will bring us exhibitions from Elliott Erwitt and Bruce Gilden, among others.
Fotografiska Tallinn, NUDE | Until 19 January
Words: Diana Bestwish Tetteh
Image Credits:
- © Prue Stent & Honey, Long Wind Form, from the series Phanta Firma (2014).
- © Brooke DiDonato, How It Happened, from the collection Rhyme or Reason (2018).
- © Brooke DiDonato, Sum of Its Parts, from the collection Rhyme or Reason (2019).
- © Prue Stent & Honey Long, Salt Pool, from the series Phanta Firma (2018).
- © Bettina Pittaluga.
- © Luo Yang.
