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VLASTA DELIMAR
CONTEXT section
curated by Pernilla Holmes
BOOTH: E20
viennacontemporary 2024
12.9. – 15.9.2024
LIVE-PERFORMANCE at our booth
Vlasta Delimar: The Right to an Orgasm at Over 60
Thursday, 12.09,2024, 6 pm
Saturday, 14.09.2024, 2 pm
**See the feature in the German VOGUE**
A captivating retrospective that transcends boundaries and time,
unveiling the evolution of a pioneering artist.
Vlasta Delimar is considered one of the most radical performance artists from former Yugoslavia and has established herself as a prominent figure in the contemporary Croatian art scene. She is renowned for her provocative and boundary-pushing works, aiming to liberate the female body from societal constraints. Her artistic journey spans four decades and reflects the transformation of identity and the female body in art.
Delimar uses her own nude body as the central medium of her art to question society’s objectification of the female body. In her performances, photographs, collages and films, she penetrates taboo zones and aims to liberate the female body from the shackles of social norms. Her works are recalcitrant and challenge conventions.
The exhibition provides a comprehensive overview of Vlasta Delimar’s artistic journey, spanning from her early works to the present day. It marks an impressive 45 years since her debut performance in 1979, titled “Attempt at Identification,” which she co-performed with Željko Jerman at the iconic Podroom Gallery in Zagreb. Her first solo performance, “Transformation of Personality” (with clothes, make-up, hairstyle), followed in 1980/81 at the SC Zagreb Gallery. These vintage photographs from her solo performances are being shown to the public for the first time.
Read moreIn addition to these early works, the exhibition features numerous photos and videos exploring the roles of men and women, with Delimar subtly highlighting the position of women in various contexts without offering criticism, but rather inviting reflection on these roles. In her oeuvre, she repeatedly expresses her heterosexual desire and lust, evoking both fascination and outrage among viewers. Vlasta Delimar photographed herself with naked men, performing explicit sexual acts and using the female body as a medium for communicating her message.
Delimar uses her art as a platform to draw attention to social, political and cultural problems and to fight against hierarchical power structures. She strives to give women back control over their own bodies, and to deconstruct the objectification of the female body in society.
In one of her artistic approaches, Delimar often reduces the photographic image of the human body to an elemental representation of genitals. And subsequently, she adds stereotypically elements associated with femininity, such as lace, ribbons, and buttons. This leads to a hyperbolization and carnivalization of the female or male body in which desire and eroticism become a norm-free space.
Overall, Vlasta Delimar can be described as an intellectual, feminist performance artist whose works address a wide range of issues and evoke emotional, intellectual, and social responses. Her art is significant to the contemporary art world and contributes to the discussion of identity, gender, and power.
PERFORMANCE
Vlasta Delimar: The Right to an Orgasm at Over 60
12.09,2024, 6 pm
14.09.2024, 2 pm
galerie michaela stock, Booth E20
In her performance “The Right to an Orgasm at Over 60” Vlasta Delimar highlights the importance of sexuality in later life, challenges societal taboos surrounding older women, and asserts that sexuality is a fundamental human right.
During the opening night of the art fair, Delimar will stand on a platform at the galerie michaela stock booth, dressed in a black dress and hat, holding a sign that reads “The Right to an Orgasm at Over 60.” Her presence, both striking and understated, will feature her alternating between sitting and standing, with subtle movements reminiscent of mannequins. Occasionally, she will interact with passersby who pause to observe. Visitors are encouraged to engage with her throughout the 30-minute performance.
Delimar first presented this piece in Vienna (2016) at a vintage shop on Schleifmühlgasse, next to galerie michaela stock. By positioning herself in a shop window—a space usually reserved for silent mannequins representing youthful and slender ideals—Delimar, who is over 60, draws attention to the significance of sexual enjoyment in older age. She invites the audience to reconsider sexuality as a human right.
This performance boldly confronts the taboos surrounding older women’s sexuality, advocating for its recognition as a vital aspect of both physical and emotional well-being.
Vlasta Delimar’s work, eversince the late 1970s, has been based on exposing and breaking the taboos related to the female body and its codification through stereotypical roles and expectations. The artist’s body has been the focal point of all her photographic works and performances.
Mariia Yeroshkina / viennacontemporary / galerie michaela stock
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Courtesy: Vlasta Delimar / galerie michaela stock
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