Our local participant Claudia Vonderlind had an especially successful time at the residency. She does what she calls “performative photography”: single images are composed into a video and presented in an interactive, installative context. She investigates role models and identities that she once believed to be obliged to fulfill, influenced by images in magazines and other media. Often, she is her own protagonist, her own canvas.

The multimedia, interdisciplinary art and psychology project RED LIPS investigates the politics of the female body with brilliant irony and bittersweet seriousness, and explores the stigmas, standards, and expectations to which women are exposed.

The artist visits each participant’s home with her MacBook, a tube of red lipstick, and a drink of choice, and leaves them alone for up to four hours. During this time, they take 144 self portraits using the laptop’s photo application. The women do not see each other’s videos. The bed reflects the participants’ intimate and private space, just as the artists’ personal laptop demonstrates her willingness to trust others. Intimacy and closeness, as opposed to disconnencted and fragmented relationships of modern everyday life, are central layers of her work.

When she started RED LIPS two years ago, Claudia made her project open to all people of all ages and genders, but only women have chosen to participate thus far.

We are happy that during our Final exhibition, Red Lips was discovered by Alfred Weidinger, Director of MdbK, who invited Claudia to have an exhibition there in July (tba). Congratulations!

Images courtesy of the artist.

Links:
Claudia Vonderlind
on Facebook