48
Louisa Achille
Nic Andrews
Joanna Angel
Kenneth Anger
Fernando Arias
Martin Arnold
James Avalon
Fiona Banner
Thomas Bayrle
Willem van Batenburg
Belladonna
Andrew Blake
Bruce LaBruce
Angela Bulloch
Tom Burr
Butt Magazine
Marc Bijl
Marilyn Chambers
Larry Clark
Gerard Damiano
Nathalie Djurberg
Rinse Dream
Marcel Duchamp
Elmgreen & Dragset
Andrea Fraser
General Idea
Jean Genet
Girls Like Us
Garry Gross
Guerilla Girls
Sachiko Hanai
Roswitha Hecke
Hustler Magazine
Dorothy Iannone
Robert Indiana
Jenna Jameson
William E. Jones
Richard Kern
Edward & Nancy Kienholz
Terence Koh
Bernd Krauß
Stanley Kubrick
Yayoi Kusama
Michael Laub & Dean Proctor
Zoe Leonard
Joep van Lieshout
Tracy Lords
Joseph Maida
Robert Mapplethorpe
Dorit Margreiter
Dona Ann McAdams
Malcolm McLaren
Vivienne Westwood
McKai
Olaf Metzel
John Miller
Jim & Artie Mitchell
Robert Mueller
Otto Muhl
Bruce Nauman
Henrik Olesen
Fritz Ostermayer
Panik Qulture
Haris Pellapaisiotis
Richard Prince
Iwata Roku
Martha Rosler
Doug Sakmann
Carolee Schneemann
Brooke Shields
Snoop Dogg
Valerie Solanas
Annie Sprinkle
SUPERM
Paul Thomas
Erik Visser
Lawrence Weiner
Octavio Winkytiki
Johannes Wohnseifer
Nick Zedd
Jack the Zipper
Florian Waldvogel
Thomas Edlinger
70 artists, film-makers, activists, photo-journalists, musicians and magazine editors
70 artists, film-makers, activists, photo-journalists, musicians and magazine editors
curated by Florian Waldvogel and Thomas Edlinger
BODYPOLITCX is an international group exhibition - with extensive sideprogramme of debates, performances and workshops - seeing sex through the eyes of over 70 artists, film-makers, activists, photo-journalists, musicians and magazine editors.
Note: Restricted to visitors above 18.
'A censor is someone who knows more than he thinks you ought to.' (Lawrence Peter)
Why does pornography have such a bad reputation? Everybody has an opinion about porn. Most profess not to like it and many claim to have never even seen any. But can pornography be avoided in a world of increasingly sexualized magazines, films, commercials and websites? Additionally, whilst the question 'what is porn?' may seem straight-forward, beyond a technical or dictionary definition, it remains almost impossible to answer.
This group exhibition does not seek to provide one simple response. Nor does it take sides in the for-or-against debate about pornography. Instead, in a specially conceived setting that combines artworks with artifacts, BODYPOLITICX poses further questions: does porn symbolize patriarchal structures and the oppression of women? Are porn films a reflection of existing social and sexual relationships? What is taboo when everything around us is sexualized and yet sexual practices remain un-discussable? Is pornography to blame for the destruction of sexuality?
In Europe during the Middle Ages, sexuality was an unknown concept. Sexual intercourse and masturbation were taken for granted and were not stigmatized with shame. Irrespective of gender, satisfying one's desires was seen as a way to remain healthy. Not until the 16th century - with the beginnings of industrialization, the division of labor and hence a greater emphasis on social- and self-control - was a lack of sexual discipline declared taboo, and sexuality banished to the private domain. The concept of 'modern pornography' arose with the expansion of printing during the 18th century. Initially it was used by free-thinkers as a tool to criticize the religious and political authorities, and was not primarily intended as a means of sexual stimulation. Only with advancing industrialization and the invention of photography did pornography become a category in its own right.
With a focus upon the 20th and 21st centuries, this exhibition takes a contemporary look at an age-old fascination, seeing sex through the eyes of over 70 artists, film-makers, activists, photo-journalists, musicians and magazine editors. By means of visual juxtaposition, the exhibition sets out to examine the demarcation of the sex industry, subculture, pop, performance and art. BODYPOLITCX asks: If we have learnt from Shakespeare what love is, what can we learn from the cultural practice of pornography?
Artists:
48, Louisa Achille, Nic Andrews, Joanna Angel, Kenneth Anger, Fernando Arias, Martin Arnold, James Avalon, Fiona Banner, Thomas Bayrle, Willem van Batenburg, Belladonna, Andrew Blake, Bruce LaBruce, Angela Bulloch, Tom Burr, Butt Magazine, Marc Bijl, Marilyn Chambers, Larry Clark, Gerard Damiano, Nathalie Djurberg, Rinse Dream, Marcel Duchamp, Elmgreen & Dragset, Andrea Fraser, General Idea, Jean Genet, Girls Like Us, Garry Gross, Guerilla Girls, Sachiko Hanai, Roswitha Hecke, Hustler Magazine, Dorothy Iannone, Robert Indiana, Jenna Jameson, William E. Jones, Richard Kern, Edward & Nancy Kienholz, Terence Koh, Bernd Krauß, Stanley Kubrick, Yayoi Kusama, Michael Laub & Dean Proctor, Zoe Leonard, Joep van Lieshout, Tracy Lords, Joseph Maida, Robert Mapplethorpe, Dorit Margreiter, Dona Ann McAdams, Malcolm McLaren/Vivienne Westwood, Eon McKai, Olaf Metzel, John Miller, Jim & Artie Mitchell, Robert Mueller, Otto Mühl, Bruce Nauman, Henrik Olesen, Fritz Ostermayer, Panik Qulture, Haris Pellapaisiotis, Richard Prince, Iwata Roku, Martha Rosler, Doug Sakmann, Carolee Schneemann, Brooke Shields, Snoop Dogg, Valerie Solanas, Annie Sprinkle, SUPERM, Paul Thomas, Erik Visser, Lawrence Weiner, Octavio Winkytiki, Johannes Wohnseifer, Nick Zedd, Jack the Zipper.
BODYPOLITCX is curated by Florian Waldvogel and Thomas Edlinger.
BODYPOLITCX is supported by the Mondriaan Foundation, Amsterdam, and September in Rotterdam.
Witte de With
Witte de Withstraat 50 - Rotterdam