Fascinated by the theme of surveillance in society and the violation of privacy, Romanian artist Nora Neagoe began her artistic journey with cinematic exploration and movies such as Rear Window by the emblematic Alfred Hitchcock. This led her question contemporary social issues looking at the idea of beauty in social media and the surveillance women experience. Through her paintings and sculptures, she depicts the high social expectations imposed on women, denouncing objectification and oppressive norms. 

Playing with the bodies 

Nora’s art practice explores the ways in which men and society perceive women.  Inspired by peepholes, she creates paintings that challenge the viewer’s comfort and encourages to reflection. In her compositions, she uses warm and pastel tints, that represent the purity of the body. They are painted through fish eyed views and distorted perspectives. While reducing the bodies in the background, Nora exaggerates the shapes of elements males and society objectify women through such as legs and shoes. The women in the paintings now seem to stare at the viewer, who is objectified as well. The roles are switched, giving the viewer a feeling of unease and guilt.

High heals as a weapon

Her latest series, Ran by the World which focuses on close-ups of shoes, Nora started to look at symbolism of high heels as markers of femininity and power. Passionate about fashion, she draws her inspiration from Versace 80’s platform shoes. According to her, high heels embody a duality of fragility and strength. It is difficult to walk with them but they could serve as a weapon too. In the male gaze, women are often perceived as more attractive wearing heels, becoming objects of staring and admiration. 

“I am focusing more on the high heels and the legs of the women, as they are seen as the etiquette of femininity. The bodies look distorted, such as the filters on social media change the bodies, showing a different version of the person. The figures also look as if they will step out of the canvas, invading the privacy of others.”

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images by PILOTENKUECHE or supplied by artist

Fusion of time

Nora’s artistic journey is inspired by her appreciation of the aesthetics of the 70s and 80s. Moreover she draws inspiration from Leipzig’s and her own cultural background. Indeed, the post-Communist atmosphere of the city’s streets reminds her of her hometown (Cluj-Napoca) in Romania. With bright colors, psychedelic patterns, her work captures the energy of those decades. She takes the viewers into her retro futuristic and contemporary world of nostalgia.

PILOTENKUECHE residency is an opportunity for Nora to broaden her artistic practice. She is exploring the three-dimensional work she had started during her Master’s degree at Royal College of Art in London. Moving away from painting, she’s experimenting with sculptures and installations. Nora plays with air-drying clay, ceramics and space installation. For PILOTENKUECHE Order Connection Order show she created a space where viewers could walk through and admire the shoes she made, a way to represent objectification of women.  Nora wanted her shoes to be seen as object on a stage that you look at and you make comments about. Giving her art a strong militant connotation, Nora confronts viewers with their dehumanizing behaviors. She encourages them to re-evaluate their perceptions of women and their bodies.