In the patriarchal social context of Burkina Faso, this thesis interrogates how Adjaratou Ouedraogo, a female Burkinabe painter, empowers Burkinabe women via her own emancipation. The artist’s...Show moreIn the patriarchal social context of Burkina Faso, this thesis interrogates how Adjaratou Ouedraogo, a female Burkinabe painter, empowers Burkinabe women via her own emancipation. The artist’s paintings are studied in relation to her traumatic memory of abuse. The thesis studies the artistic and activistic means through which Adjaratou Ouedraogo subverts the themes of childhood and family into hope. The thesis demonstrates that the artist offers new and concrete perspectives on advancing the emancipation of women and thereby contributes to building a feminism in Burkina Faso. Observing that the discussion of the role of women in contemporary Burkinabe painting is strikingly missing in academic literature and educational programs, this thesis advocates for the inclusion of the painter’s narratives and body of work in both art history and African feminist discourse. It suggests that such an inclusion is necessary for the further liberation of women in Burkina Faso.Show less
The visual representations of the human body at the 59th Venice Biennale were strikingly fragmented, recalling mutations and apocalyptic accidents belonging to the realm of science fiction. Curated...Show moreThe visual representations of the human body at the 59th Venice Biennale were strikingly fragmented, recalling mutations and apocalyptic accidents belonging to the realm of science fiction. Curated under the thematic of posthumanism, Tishan Hsu and Andra Ursuta’s sculptures questioned the biopolitical status of the human body both in western socio-political paradigms and in twenty-first century art making. The exponential development of technologies into the human body has prompted both a rise in anticipations of a cyborg future, and in cultural representations of the human body through dystopian narratives.This essay is aimed at analyzing the changing conception of the human being through the popularization of posthuman research and its effects on how we visualize and represent the human form. It will question the significance of representing dystopian human anatomies, how this colors Alemani’s conception of a “posthuman condition” and how it can inform posthuman research into a shift in the conception of the human within the masses.Show less
The portrayal of the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Germany’s museums is marked by censorship of voices critical of Israeli policy and military actions. Consequently, Palestinian...Show moreThe portrayal of the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Germany’s museums is marked by censorship of voices critical of Israeli policy and military actions. Consequently, Palestinian perspectives are often excluded. This phenomenon can be linked to the Holocaust memory which permeates a culture of guilt and reconciliation toward Jewish communities and therefore informs solidarity with Israel. In the following text, I intend to analyze how the conflict was conceptualized and incorporated into the exhibition Goldstein’s Traum in 2019 at the Mahn und Gedenkstaette Duesseldorf. After an analysis of the exhibition’s content and overall narrative, I argue that the exclusion of Palestinian perspectives and the censorship of some aspects of the photographer’s critique can be linked to the cultural purpose of the Mahn und Gedenkstaette as a Memorial museum dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust and its dependence on public support.Show less
Socially engaged art has begun to take a more prominent role in activism for the urban poor of India’s cities. Such projects present a solution to the challenge of attaining rights, proper...Show moreSocially engaged art has begun to take a more prominent role in activism for the urban poor of India’s cities. Such projects present a solution to the challenge of attaining rights, proper resources and infrastructure for livability. Existing research examines criminal acts and violent protests as a primary method of achieving such goals, however, this paper will instead claim that crime and violence are instead the result of lacking these basic rights. In doing so, this paper will also analyze the installation artwork On Stage: Sathenagar Here as a multi-disciplinary version of socially engaged art which directly acknowledges these gaps in current research as well as a more effective method of representing the urban poor and its political effects. Through the use of architectural reconstructions, inclusion of Sathenagar residents, and employing participative methods, the artwork offers a literal stage for the political representation of the urban poor.Show less
