" BODYPOLITICX " Exhibition at Witte de With

Tuesday, 11 September 2007 23:57

Rotterdam, Netherlands - 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.

“A censor is someone who knows more than he thinks you ought to.”...(Lawrence Peter)

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? On exhibition through 16 December, 2007.

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 20^th and 21^st 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. BODYPOLITICX 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, Belladonna, Marc Bijl, Andrew Blake, Angela Bulloch, Tom Burr, Bruce LaBruce, BUTT magazine, Marilyn Chambers, Larry Clarke, Club 90, Gerard Damiano, Nathalie Djurberg, Rinse Dream, Marcel Duchamp, Maria Eichhorn, Elmgreen & Dragset, Andrea Fraser, General Idea, Jean Genet, Girls Like Us, Garry Gross, Guerrilla Girls, Sachiko Hanai, Roswitha Hecke, Dorothy Iannone, Robert Indiana, Jenna Jameson, William E. Jones, Richard Kern, Edward & Nancy Kienholz, Terence Koh, Bernd Krauss, Stanley Kubrick, Yayoi Kusama, Michael Laub, Zoe Leonard, Joep van Lieshout, Tracy Lords, Joseph Maida, Robert Mapplethorpe, Dorit Margreiter, Dona Ann McAdams, Eon McKai, Olaf Metzel, John Miller, Jim & Artie Mitchell, Otto Muehl, Robert Mueller, Bruce Nauman, Henrik Olesen, Fritz Ostermayer, Panik Qulture, Haris Pellapaisiotis, Dean Proctor, Iwata Roku, Martha Rosler, Doug Sakmann, Carolee Schneemann, Snoop Dogg, Valerie Solanas, Annie Sprinkle, SUPERM, Paul Thomas, Erik Visser, Lawrence Weiner, Octavio Winkytiki, Johannes Wohnseifer, Nick Zedd.

Curated by : Florian Waldvogel and Thomas Edlinger

Witte de With, Center for Contemporary Art, is a leading international cultural institution, located at the heart of Rotterdam's lively art scene. Since its foundation in 1990, Witte de With has evolved to become one of the most influential art institutions in the Netherlands, presenting the most recent developments in contemporary art and showing work of young and upcoming artists alongside that of renowned figures from the international field. In addition to its exhibitions and symposia, Witte de With also helps artists to produce new work and publishes a range of books on art and art theory. Visit : www.wdw.nl

BODYPOLITICX is supported by the Mondriaan Foundation, Amsterdam and September in Rotterdam.