Florence
November 30 2006 - January 27 2007

TABOO
6 PHOTOGRAPHERS
FROM AUSTRIA

by Eva Brunner-Szabo

A taboo is a strong social prohibition or ban relating to any area of human activity or behaviour declared sacred or forbidden. Breaking a taboo is considered objectionable and abhorrent by society. Taboos may be restrictions on sexual activities and relationships, on bodily functions or on religious and other topics. Taboos prevent certain issues from open discussion - in a group, community or society (Don't talk about that!). Tabooed topics get no place, in the public space.
In my role as an artist curator I have selected works, which aroused my fascination. Works, in which I could sense, in which I could feel, that they have crossed a border - the taboo has been broken. All selected artists, work out the narrow margins between strong personal emotions and different kinds of cultural taboos. In my selection I will show the fine lines, which link these works.
The work "girls cut" from Magdalena Frey presents a kind of female circumcision - stitched up and cut vaginas - one of the greatest taboos of the contemporary world. Because none of the women who had experienced this agreed to be photographed, Frey chose to metaphorize her representations. The digital photo collages are representing not only cutting as a phenomenon of African and Islamic circles; she related her work to the questions of women in today's reality: the role of women or the development of feminity.
Who I am? - A Madonna, a prostitute, a porn queen, a puppet. The themes the artist Maria Haas confronts us with in her work "Selbstportrait" are not easy to consume. The artist is subject and viewer at the same time; and we can take part in her explanations on religion, sexuality and violence. Which role would be the supposed right one?
Ana Casas Broda's work "Album" shows us in very personal way humans as bodily beings. The artist and her grandmother are united by a deep complicity - the artist's grandmother took pictures of her as a child, just as she took pictures of her grandmother in return - remove themselves of all adornments and bravely stand naked before a mute and unyielding mirror. The camera, offers us moving images of their bodies in intimate acts of affection. The work of her is a result of going back to the family roots to find her own identity.
Clandestines, illegal refugees - people, who don't exist for us, and we ignore their presence. Ingrid Simon combines in her work "Present Continuous" photographs of the South-Italian shorelines scattered with clothes, which were left behind by the illegal immigrants, and texts taken from English beginners exercise books. You don't see people on her photos but you feel their strong bodily presence. The peculiarity of the situation is strengthened with the English exercise book texts. From the mouth of a refugee some answers on exercises like "Can I see your passport please? Yes of course" sounds very remarkable and horrifying.
The work "Privatsphäre" of Sissi Farassat has as central theme: the line between revelation and preservation of intimacy. In her work the photographs are installed in a box, which switches between darkness and light. If the viewer stands apart, the lighting switches on illuminating the work: intimate and private scenes. But approaching the box the light switches off - and thus the picture disappears. This work shows the relation between the viewer and the object - the observer has to keep a clear distance.
Illness, especially when it deals with body secretions, like urine, menstruation blood, sperm and stools, or death is a further banned theme. The ban is stronger when being in combination with youth. H.H. Capor writes about his work "Verena, 18". "It was my intention to show the contrast between a young beautiful woman and the 'sign of death' on her. For three years a condition which is otherwise a taboo is documented by photography; something which usually takes place behind closed doors becomes now visible: the physical blemish caused by the illness is not bashful hidden, in the contrary, it is shown. This is the story about a girl just before the final exam who comes out of the anaesthetic finding an artificial anus and a long operation scar on her beautiful young body. She gave me the 'instructions' of a documentation of her situation. I instructed myself to show her beauty despite her injury."
Six positions - six taboos, the link between these positions is one of the most untouchable things of today: humans as bodily beings.