“Bodies We Inhabit: Contemporary Perspectives in Ecofeminism,” is a four-week virtual exhibition curated by Jessica Duby, March 25-April 22, presented through Latela Curatorial, on Artsy and Bodiesweinhabit.com. Ecofeminism explores the connection between the oppression of women and the destruction of nature. The exhibition, which will run through Earth Day, probes the interconnections between women and the earth, from the presence of rhythmic cycles to the shared experiences of consumption and exploitation. The show features the work of 11 women artists working across media from Lebanon, New York, Virgina, Maryland, and Washington, DC. Through the works in this exhibition, the artists of “Bodies We Inhabit” call for a relationship to earth and women that is rooted in mutuality and respect, with less extraction and more reciprocity.
Alongside the main virtual exhibition space on Artsy, four central themes will be highlighted, one per week in distinct “viewing rooms,” inviting viewers to go deeper with the work.
LIST OF THEMES / “VIEWING ROOMS”:
- Interbeing (opens March 25, 2021) – In line with the idea that all living beings are mutually a part of one interconnected organism, a view which goes by many names from the science community’s Gaia Hypothesis and Intra-Action to Thich Nhat Hanh’s Buddhist concept of interbeing, Nava Gidanian-Kagan and Rosa Ines Vera’s works dissolve the visual and metaphorical lines between their own bodies and earth bodies.
- Rhythm and Renewal (April 1-7, 2021) – Artists Nina Allen, Schaun Champion, Sara Dittrich, and Jenny Freestone explore ways of harmonizing the patterns of their bodies with the rotations of the earth. From lunar timekeeping to a perennial flower’s cycle from pollination to death, these artists seek divine wisdom in the material world through rhythmic cycles.
- Source Materials (April 8-14, 2021)- Artists Ceci Cole-McInturff, Linda Stein, and Mirella Salame are continuously beckoned to explore earth’s mysteries, lessons, and offerings through its materiality. These artists find in the earth three important co-conspirators—a muse, a mentor, and a patron. Using earth materials from shells, stones, and branches, to feathers and pigments, McInturf, Stein, and Salame’s works are alchemic expressions of their personal practices of being in deep relationship with the earth—giving and receiving in equal measure.
- Critical Condition (April 15-22, 2021) – Artists Noel Kassowitz and Sue Wrubican delve into the devastation that has arrived, and what more will come if our culture continues to let the earth fall prey to predatory capitalism. It is only when the feminine values of love, rest, nurturing, and creativity are seen as equally worthy of respect as masculine values of productivity, action, and achievement that we be able to begin to collectively rise to the task of beginning to reverse the damage that has been done.
Artworks in this exhibition are available for sale. Purchasing art made by women artists supports the gap in pay, auction market, press and exhibition representation of women in the arts.
The full digital exhibition experience, including programming calendar + performances can be found at bodiesweinhabit.com and on Artsy via: artsy.net/show/latela-curatorial-bodies-we-inhabit. Artworks can be purchased online or by contacting Latela Curatorial directly: [email protected]. All media inquiries are encouraged to contact directly.
PUBLIC PROGRAMS
April 1: 6pm – Artist Talk on themes “Interbeing, Rhythm, and Renewal,” moderated by Jessica Angima, Cultural Worker and Healing Artist, with artists Nina Allen, Rosa Ines Vera, Jenny Freestone, and Schaun Champion.
April 14: 12pm – Artist Talk on theme “Source Materials,” moderated by Marta Staudinger, Artist, and Latela Curatorial Founder, Director and Curator, with Mirella Salame, Linda Stein, and Ceci Cole-McInturff.
April 21: 6pm – Artist Talk and Performance Screenings on theme “Performance and Protection,” moderated by Jessica Duby, curator, with Nina Allen, Noel Kassowitz, Sara Dittrich, and Sue Wrbican.
