Gallery: Tallinn exhibition 'Old Venus' questions myths of the female ideal
Punctum Gallery in Tallinn has opened "Old Venus," a group show that examines the female ideal as a cultural construct.
Part of the Tallinn Photomonth satellite program kicking off Friday, the exhibition is curated by Lilian-Hiob-Küttis and brings together six women artists from different generations, each unpacking the myths and forms of womanhood in her own way.
The title piece, Sirje Runge's photograph "Old Venus," portrays an archetypal ideal of a female in mature age.
"This exhibition is about being a woman and growing into one, and the social standards imposed on women throughout their lives," the curator noted.
Featured artists include Sirje Runge, Cloe Jancis, Maarja Mäemets, Johanna Mudist, Kate Cooper and Terje Ojavere.
"Old Venus" is an examination of the female ideal as a historically formed and culturally mediated construct which the artists unpack through critical approaches to science fiction, folklore, literature and consumer culture. Jancis, for instance, casts the witch as her antiheroine.
"I've always been drawn to themes and characters who exist in between," Jancis said. "They're scary, but also exciting, uncanny, beautiful. It's the same with the witch — there's nothing more powerful than a smart and skilled woman. She's terrifying and fascinating, full of material to play with."
"Old Venus" runs at Punctum Gallery in Tallinn's Noblessner Quarter through Sunday, November 2.
--
Editor: Karmen Rebane, Aili Vahtla
