Good Girl !
About
In every form of art, the male gaze is historically omnipresent. It impacts the way we look at women, but also the way women look at themselves. The male gaze has been theorized by Laura Mulvey in 1973. The British film theorist stated that many films are shot from the perspective and fantasy of a heterosexual male, which often leads to the sexualization of women or their portrayal in ways that align with the desires of the male in control. In photography, women are often pictured naked or in submissive positions which is again : the representation of the fantasy of a heterosexual man. But there are more and more women and Queer people trying to break that representation who are doing photography with their own gaze in mind. This exhibition aims to present current women or Queer photographers who formulate their visions of women, femininity, or gender through the medium. The title:“Good Girl !” refers to the societal expectations imposed upon women which form the appropriate "feminine" behavior, leading to depersonalization and fetishization of women. The photographs featured in this show contradict the notion that women are nothing but obedient objects.
Ambre Antoine is a contemporary art historian and curator based in Strasbourg, France mainly working with feminist and ecofeminist art creations, encompassing media ranging from paintings to photographs, sculptures, and more. Ambre’s particular points of interest are the historical link between women and nature and the dynamics of womanhood and patriarchal structures. “I like working on art that questions femininity, genders or sexualities. If I had my own gallery, I would like to present works that make us think and meditate about the world we are living in.”