Exhibition: Reverse Gazes – Carmine Auricchio, Pia Deppermann, Sophie Krause, Luca Piscopo feat. Haley Morris-Cafiero

Opening: 7.10.2023, 11 a.m.
Exhibition: 8.10 – 4.11.2023

Reverse Gazes is the inaugural edition of the exhibition series JOINTS, curated by Eva Leitolf and Giulia Cordin (Studio Image of the Faculty of Design and Arts | unibz) and Jeva Griskjane (Foto Forum). It showcases photographs by renowned US artist Haley Morris-Cafiero and multimedia works by upcoming artists Carmine Auricchio, Pia Deppermann, Sophie Krause, and Luca Piscopo. Reverse Gazes interrogates the politics of the gaze and exhibits the hybrid and transdisciplinary practices of artists from different generations and social backgrounds, whose common theme is the exploration of gaze.
The group exhibition reflects contemporary conflicts of values within the patriarchal system in the technologized age of media manipulation, thereby opening up new perspectives on alternative life models for a more equal and independent coexistence.

In The Bully Pulpit, artist Haley Morris-Cafiero explores the social phenomenon of cyberbullying by subverting the public profiles of people who have attempted to harass her online. She uses wigs, clothes, and simple prosthetics to replicate images of the perpetrators found online, then overlays these parodies with transcripts of the bullying comments, almost as if she were “sub-tweeting” them.

 

 

The complex web of family dynamics, patriarchal structures and their lasting effects on subsequent generations form the core of Carmine Auricchio’s Padre Padrone (Figli di Adamo). By uncovering the intertwined threads within his own family, he hints at how familiar, intergenerational power dynamics leave deep scars on all family members.

 

In Strukturelle Beschaffenheiten II, Pia Deppermann deals with hierarchies and power structures that are cemented by the persistent reproduction of stereotypical images of gender relations in German textbooks. The artist distributed flyers inviting men to audition for new film adaptations of books commonly studied in German schools, (e.g., Homo Faber by Max Frisch). The video work created during these casting sessions features the men of different generations whom she confronted with her selection of excerpts. The protagonists read, interpret, and comment on the texts, which results in surprising moments of reflection and dismay.

 

Sophie Krause’s video work Le Bambole addresses the male gaze of the film industry as an example of patriarchal propaganda. Using the audition format, Krause manages to connect her personal reflections with the experiences of many other women. Her work discusses the extent to which women internalize the male gaze and how they can regain control.

 

 

In Candy Oscuro: Apocalypse & Genesis, Luca Piscopo shifts the topic of gaze to a very intimate place: the family. While stuck at home with his parents during the pandemic, the artist invited his mother to become his photographer. She accordingly took pictures of him adopting ambiguous poses while wearing outfits and makeup that he borrowed from her—a process intended to call into question their respective notions of male and female identity. As they brought Candy to life and explored Luca’s ideas about gender and identity, each discovered new facets of the other.