>a room of one’s own< is a forum of young women artists for discussing, investigating and expanding contemporary feminist discourses and practices. >a room of one’s own< has been newly constituted since the project The Experiment 2A in April/May 2001 and sees itself as an open group with a foundation in the different aspects of knowledge and experience of the individual participants.
“Can you remember when you realized that you are a girl? Which female bands do you know? For which gaze do you produce as a female artist?” >a room of one’s own< has asked what characterizes the everyday life of young female artists, musicians and theorists from a feminist perspective.
Tying into the first part of the exhibition project The Experiment 2 in April/May 2001, the platform >a room of one’s own< presents the results of their current research. Questions of gender identity and influences and the relevance of feminist concerns in the worlds of everyday life and work are addressed in conversations with artists and theorists. Which strategies exist for arranging social processes according to the necessities that women claim? A precondition for intervening in social contexts is a permanent self-positioning. In this way, the exchange of experiences among women becomes a catalyst for delineating crucial objectives and differences, which can ultimately create an awareness for possibilities for political agency as well.
In their presentation in the Graphic Cabinet, >a room of one’s own< reflects on communicative processes, provides insights in conversations, interviews and narratives, and conveys these to the exhibition audience in a condensed form. An audio installation enables visitors to extensively explore the interview material. Skirts especially produced for the exhibition, which may be purchased by exhibition visitors, are printed with questions and statements taken from the discussions. Because of their simple rectangular cut, the skirts can be easily transformed into banners with political messages. A demonstration video playfully explains the practice of wearing skirts and using banners.
Historically, the skirt has been an article of clothing for both women and men. Accordingly, it is used in this exhibition as a metaphor for gender bending. Wearing skirts/carrying banners takes the statements and demands out of an art context into the surroundings of everyday life. Feminism is not a separate discourse, but has significance for the whole of society. Feminist demands are fitting!
The web site www.aroomofonesown.at functions both as a web-log and as an open forum with a collection of material comprising detailed protocols of the conversations and interviews, and documentary photos, videos and audio recordings.
