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The upcoming exhibition at Galleria Fumagall in Milan, Italy, titled Being a Woman: The Body as a Tool of Creation and an Act of Rebellion, will run from March 5 to May 30, 2025. The exhibition is inspired by the powerful words of Oriana Fallaci, who eloquently expressed the complexities and challenges of being a woman. The curators, Maria Vittoria Baravelli and Annamaria Maggi, have selected iconic works from renowned female artists such as Marina Abramović, Sang A Han, Annette Messager, Shirin Neshat, and Gina Pane.
iFallaci’s quote encapsulates the essence of the exhibition: “Being a woman is such a fascinating adventure that requires immense courage, a challenge that never gets boring.” The exhibition aims to explore how these artists have transformed their bodies into battlegrounds for experimentation, intertwining politics, life, blood, madness, and imagination in a continuous struggle against conventions.
Historically, women’s bodies have been contested territories, symbols to control, and ideas to normalize. The featured artists have defied the binary constraints of traditional norms, breaking free from the cages imposed by patriarchy and tradition. They have rejected the notion of being passive objects, instead becoming active subjects who use their bodies as instruments of resistance and expression, redefining what it means to be a woman.
The exhibition will showcase significant examples of Body Art, including Marina Abramović’s Thomas Lips (1975-2002), a brutal performance where the artist carves a pentacle into her abdomen with a razor blade in front of an audience, who ultimately intervene to save her life. Another notable work is Gina Pane’s Cicatrice de l’action (1974-1975), where self-harm becomes a means of exploring her body through pain, marking an act of love and introspection.
Sang A Han’s work presents the female body as a source of spirituality, depicted in a sensual yet delicate manner, embodying the duality of motherhood and creation. Annette Messager’s Mes Voeux (1997) combines photographs of various body parts to evoke a plurality of physical, psychological, and sexual identities, creating a tapestry of relationships and experiences.
Shirin Neshat’s exploration of identity, particularly in her Women of Allah series, examines the role of women in Iranian society post-Islamic revolution, portraying them as both delicate and forceful, often juxtaposed with weapons.
Through their art, these women compel us to confront a new world where the body is not merely a vessel but a powerful tool for understanding and transforming reality. Following the thoughts of Lea Vergine, the body is a site of experience and sensation, a bridge between the individual and the world that cannot be ignored.
The exhibition invites viewers to engage with the notion that being a woman is an act of rebellion, a continuous challenge against a system that seeks to limit and define. These artists have turned their struggles into opportunities to redefine the boundaries of art and life.
This exhibition promises to be a profound exploration of femininity, identity, and the power of the female body in art.
Photo credits: On the cover: Detail from Gina Pane Action Mélancolique 2x2x2, 1974, Courtesy Galleria Fumagalli // All the pictures are the property of Galleria Fumagalli