VAGINAMUSEUM.at serves both as a cultural and scientific educational platform for people of all ages, genders and different social and ethnic origins.

Due to my previous research, I have come across an indefinite number of opinions, ideas, truths and approaches by a wide variety of people concerning the topic „female sex" which still is a taboo but hardly experienced an artistical and comprehensive approach up to now. This is the reason why it was important to me to design an extensive and accessible information medium which helps to show up many different issues regarding this topic. Up to now I still haven't found a single neutral or extensive informative platform of the female sex, which is not either negatively influenced or unilaterally specialised.

In Iceland and in Germany, there is one each an analogue and a virtual museum of the penis. In Germany later on I have also found a tiny virtual platform of the vagina as well which seems to have disappeared in the meantime. In Austria up to now neither an analogue nor an virtual museum for neither the vagina nor the penis did exist.

VAGINAMUSEUM.at is divided into two main areas:
The virtual GALLERY which is a presentation platform for web-suitable contributions of art that allows interested people and artists arising from a diversity of artistical areas of art to present their artistical work / concepts surrounding the topic female sex.

The virtual ARCHIVE which is a presentation platform for general contributions on the topic of female sex and which enables interested people or scientists from different disciplines to present their related results.

VAGINAMUSEUM.at sees itself as a neutral platform which is neither virulent nor intrusive and which does not demand anything but reflects, researches and archives.

NOT RADICALIZATION but NORMALIZATION!

The Idea to develop a VAGINAMUSEUM arose in 2011.

The digital revolution in the end of the 20th century did not only change the term of Technology but also effected almost all other areas of life (similarly to the Industrial Revolution at the beginning of the 19th century. The digital age thus changes the human way of thinking and acting.

Computers and the world wide web became a certainty in many areas of life (work, education, scientific institutions, private households...) and the web 2.0 established a new way of communication.

According to studies by the Statista GmBH, around 2.4 billion people out of the world wide population make use of the internet. Around 90 % of all teenagers are connected to the web via their smartphones all day through. This is where their social life takes place. [1]

It was important to me to create a contemporary space which keeps people of all ages, sex, social or ethnic backgrounds well informed independently from time and location.

The definition of a museum by ICOM (International Council of Museums) is:
A museum is a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development which is open to the public and acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment. (amendment of 4 November 1986, Articles 3 and 4) [2]

Digital museums are similar to digital archives and libraries. They collect, explore, store and mediate. [3]

THEIR ONLINE PRESENCE ALSO DECIDES OVER THEIR OFFLINE PRESENCE!

In the language of our everyday lives the term vagina is incorrectly used to describe the female gender as a whole.

The vagina (lat.) however biologically is - in addition to the uterus, the oviduct and the ovaries - only one of the internal female sexual organs. From a medical point of view, the vagina is the connecting channel from the inside to the outside. The vulva is the entirety of the external sexual organs.

The linguistic description of the body part "vagina" is identical in many languages by its' common Latin roots so that I do assume the term vagina to approximately be worldwide known.

A POSITIVE OPENING FROM INSIDE OUT!

In principle the idea of the implementation and the opening of a VAGINAMUSEUM.at in order to create a contribution to the de-tabooing of the negatively occupied term "vagina" is a very courageous approach.

Not only the discussion of the topic but also the visual design of the platform - which stands out of the standard of other virtual platforms - draws a high degree of creativity.

I decided to use the word vagina as an epitome for the female gender and as a term for the museum. This decision is – brought up to the point - reflected in the design concept:
The logo is a "dot" but can also be regarded as the opening-portal into the vagina. When entering the virtual museum, a metaphorically presented female gender is visible and by navigating the individual areas are enlarged or reduced or even transformed into a diamond or a flower.

The correct spelling of VAGINAMUSEUM.at is the capitalization of the letters and the small "at". This is explicitly for visualizing referring to the virtual character.

THE VAGINA BECOMES A PART OF US!

VAGINAMUSEUM.at is the first virtual museum for the female sex and is a cultural and scientific educational platform for people of all ages, genders and different social and ethnic origins.

Through education and enlightenment, the positive visualization of the female sex, the woman becomes permanently visible in her entirety. Self-confidence, creativity, confidence ... (to name a few potentials of femininity) can be strengthened and encouraged. Men also experience a positive approach. Adolescents of both sexes experience a positive education.

Those changes regarding the view on the female sex and thus on a woman herself would break down prejudices, break norms, and emphasise the appreciation of femininity.

VAGINAMUSEUM.at polarises!
VAGINAMUSEUM.at picks up taboo theme and puts it into discussion to dismantle prejudices!
VAGINAMUSEUM.at breaks up with the discourse of art and approaches life of people and their habitats, too!

VAGINAMUSEUM.at IS CURRENTLY AWAKING AND ARISING!

VAGINAMUSEUM.at over a long period of time has been the only platform of its kind in the whole world. Accordingly the interest is enormous looking at the figures of access to the VAGINAMUSEUM.at.

The public feedback of women and men is equally stimulating. The Echo of Media is international due to its' bilingualism.

Press Articles >>

In future contributions are planned for the ARCHIVE and exhibitions for the GALLERY according to special topics. The goal is the expansion of the VAGINAMUSEUM.at and the continuous cooperation in between professionals from different areas. As usual various scientific and artistical approaches have been shown up in order to de-taboo mostly negatively occupied term vagina and to reflect, research, mediate and archive from different perspectives.

VAGINAMUSEUM.at will become a comprehensive platform in the future.
De-taboo of the vagina
Inhibitions are taken off
Enlightenment takes place
A POSITIVE OPENING FROM INSIDE OUT!

(Translation: D. Lesner)