Feminastrum
2023
Installation, Performance, Video
High-strength resin, mixed media undefined
200 x 200 x 90 cm, 2min45s
Feminastrum
Feminastrum has a body reminiscent of an organ, enveloped in smooth, luminous skin. It appears that flesh has been squeezed into an entity, presenting a palette of pink, white, gold, and brown that exudes an elegant feminine aura. Feminastrum embodies a beautiful statue formed after a woman’s flesh is thoroughly objectified, constricted, and compressed, with its smooth texture and bizarrely bright and vibrant vivid evoking a sense of surrealism that is both disgusting yet intriguing.
Haunted by fear of abandonment, a need to please, and a dread of disappointment - Feminastrum is always tangled with distorted imaginations and blurs the boundary between dreams and reality. The more exquisite and graceful she appears, the more her internalized fears are manifested. Deprived of power and potential, she pursues perfection and elegance, with feminine beauty as its sanctified goal, as that is the sole allowed and controllable pursuit.
Living beings typically respond in three ways when facing danger: fear, freeze, or flight. The glowing columns signify that Feminastrum is capable of responding to external stimuli. As one approaches her, the flashing lights intensify, showing her increasing tension and fear. The static nature embodies her frozen dread. Although the adult and young figures and the goat are non-gender-specific, they often default to male symbols, representing power and authority. The young figure, similar in stature to Feminastrum, can empathize with her, offering compassion. Untouched by doctrines, the young fears the world less and tries to soothe Feminasturm’s fears. The flickering lights reflect anxiety and a desire to escape. Still, she is firmly anchored, her limbs twisted in spirals like spirals while lying flat on the ground, epitomizing a delicate elegance.
Women often have limited control over their bodies; for instance, the ability to give birth is both a gift and an exploitable original sin. Women may resort to altering their bodies in a form of appeasement. Feminastrum’s elegance seems to win some recognition, turning her into a sacred object, a Deity created by the figures. Although the adult figure lies down, revolving around Feminastrum as if submissive to her beauty and power, their stature maintains dominance when they stand up, a testament to their higher authority over Feminastrum. Romanticized for her self-sacrifice in becoming a static symbol, Feminastrum’s bodily redemption is spiritualized, reinforcing the collective power, structural violence, and her status as a sexualizable object. The ritualistic submissive behavior towards Feminastrum does not demonstrate her dominance but rather elucidates the passive-revolving stance of the figures and perpetuates violence against both her and female passivity.
Copyright © 2024 Eva Chenyao He. All rights reserved.