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| Niki de Saint-Phalle (Jean Tinguely, Per-Olof Ultvedt) Hon (She) 1966 Temporary installation in the Moderna Museet Stockholm, Sweden |
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Rights (Photo / Work):
© Bildrecht, Wien, 2013 List of sources: |
There are only photos remaining from the gigantic installation[1], shown in the Moderna Museet in Sweden in 1966. "Hon" means "She" – it is easy to identify a female reclining figure presented to the public by Saint-Phalle. It was via the vagina that visitors could accede to and exit from the figure's interior where were installed different rooms, such as a milk bar beneath the breast, an aquarium or a mechanical uterus.[2] The visitors return into the uterus and give birth to themselves again by leaving the figure via the vagina.[3] Because of her corpulence the reclining woman reminds the visitor of mother goddesses and Venus representations drawing thus a parallel to the woman's archaic significance as life-giver.[4] At the same time she demystifies the conception of the female body as a location of dark mysterious secrets.[5] With this installation Saint-Phalle once again calls into question the traditional role model as well as the woman's position in the society. The woman's presence as artist is increasingly important consolidating thus her importance in the world of art.
Biography: http://www.nikidesaintphalle.com/ (Translation: K. Seifter) |
