Leiden University Student Repository

Ivanković, Josipa (2024)

Sisterhood and Unity: Sanja Iveković’s use of Body Art in Socialist Yugoslavia

Bachelor thesis | Kunstgeschiedenis (BA)

The aim of this paper is to explore the use of body art by Croatian conceptual artist Sanja Iveković in order to provide a critique on the patriarchal beliefs in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Analysing Iveković’s use of profanation, juxtaposition of the public and private spheres, and interpretation of the male gaze, I will argue that Iveković brings forward crucial issues related to gender equality in Yugoslavia. Furthermore, using Josip Broz Tito in her works, Iveković points out the direct politicization of female bodies in both public and private spaces by the Yugoslav Socialist system, along with the daily objectification women face daily. Since the publications on this exact topic are scarce, this paper aims to contribute to shedding light on Yugoslavian artists and their practices which are so often overlooked on the global scale.

Body Art

Conceptual Art

Feminist Critique

Public Sphere

Private Sphere

the Gaze of the Other

the Male Gaze

Author

Ivanković, Josipa

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Arts, Media and Society

Supervisors

Fedorova, K.

ECTS Credits

10

Language

en