The opening ceremony of our new showroom on the Spree is long overdue. And this time we have a lot to offer. In addition to the new furniture collection, you can expect a bold vernissage F*ck the algorithm on the theme of femininity without Likes. The program will be accompanied by minimalist techno sounds, Aperol Spritz and Patessier treats.
Femininity in society means: beauty, grace, sensuality, nudity, but above all integrity - so it has always been found in most representations.
With the Instagram obsession, we women even reduce ourselves to the expected aesthetics. We retouch, powder and oil ourselves into a state of coma.
Not to be seen are the non-potentially erotic sides of womanhood: unbiblical pregnancy, childbirth, non-sacral breastfeeding, the woman as life factory, the used woman, the hidden but true femininity.
At this Vernissage we want to free ourselves from the toxic straitjacket and show real femininity.
11 established artists of the Berlin street art scene show their interpretation of femininity in their exhibited works. Among them are: Ale Senso, Carolina Amaya, Caro Pepe, Devita, Christoph Grohmann, Damian, Yves Rohde, Ekaterina Koroleva, Jim Avignon, Emma Rytoft, Rabea Senftenberg and Sam Crew.
Our good friend and street artist Emma Rytoft has been inspiring for years with her art, with which she exposes the ills of society in a playful and colorful way.
Emma, why "F*ck the algorithm" :-) and how did the idea for the theme femininity without Likes come?
"The male gaze and the patriarchal society we live in still dominate the way the female body is seen in the media and in art. Hence, it also decides which images get the most likes and the highest visibility on social media. Images depicting women as shiny objects to be viewed from the outside dominate the digital world.
Constant access to tips and tricks on how to be "better" as a woman - smoother, thinner, younger-looking - fuels an entire industry and leaves young girls vulnerable to hollow goals and unrealistic expectations.
F*ck the Algorithm is a response to these circumstances. The exhibition focuses on what it means to be a woman. What it feels like, not what it looks like. It is about uncensored female experiences that have not been glossed over for the viewer's convenience."
In your current art you show the intimate moments of pregnancy and breastfeeding. How has pregnancy changed your view of femininity?
"Pregnancy was a wonderful experience for me. My eyes opened to the power of the female body. It was a very creative time. I felt tremendously inspired to portray the magical feeling of growing a human being inside me. I realized that all my life I had been, more or less, subtly instructed to see my own body as an object. As something to be groomed, made up and dressed pretty in order to please an audience.
During pregnancy, and especially during child birth and breastfeeding, I have come to understand how much more there is to life as a woman. Women have incredible powers that need to be seen. I believe we need to work hard to showcase the female experience, of which pregnancy is only one part, in the public eye.
Women are makers, not objects, and young girls need to be reminded of that when they look around."
You are Swedish and have lived in different countries like Switzerland, England, China and Germany. Your boyfriend is from Mexico. How does the approach to femininity differ in these countries? And which country is the most progressive?
"Somehow I think the basic feeling that women should be pretty objects is prevalent in all modern societies. There are variations on the theme, but every country I've lived in has the same fashion magazines, the same beauty salons, and the same high heels.
Sweden is more progressive than Switzerland, Mexico, and China when it comes to equal opportunity in the workplace, but the workplace is still dominated by men, and the women who are successful take a masculine stance instead of representing the power of femininity.
I think in many ways the power of women is more respected in Mexico and China than in the Western world. Unfortunately, women in these countries do not receive equal opportunities in the workforce and there is virtually no support for motherhood.
In general, the visibility of the female body, represented through the eyes of the women themselves, needs to be strengthened in all the cultures I have lived in."
Thank you Emma! We look forward to meeting you in person at the opening.
The program will be polished up with minimalist techno sounds, Aperol Spritz and Patessier treats.The event is a perfect inspiring end of the week, Come by :-), we are looking forward to you!