The presentation of women's identity, position and struggle in the tight web of patriarchal heritage is brought to the Montenegrin public in her recognizable and authentic handwriting by the top Bosnian-Herzegovinian artist Šejla Kamerić, at the exhibition "Firstborn", which was opened the day before yesterday at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montenegro (MSUCG). gallery spaces in Petrović Castle and Perjanički dom in Kruševac in Podgorica.
The grandeur and importance of the artist's guest appearance and her solo exhibition in Podgorica were confirmed both at the opening ceremony in front of the Castle, which was accompanied by a large audience, and during the first tour of the installation, which carries a strong artistic, activist, feminist, and political voice that definitely already has a far-reaching echo .
The artist, who presented herself to the Podgorica audience again after twenty years, shows through various media the intimate but also universal struggle of women with the patriarchal concept, stereotypes and social expectations, and the thoughtful and long-lasting process that preceded the conception and opening of the exhibition, during which installation curator Milica Bezmarević worked with Šejla Kamerić.
Entering the gallery space, one enters the dimension of this famous author whose brave voice has been defying patriarchal norms and entrenched social divisions, expectations and systems for years. Photographs, installations and self-portraits symbolically talk about topics that are of enormous importance for contemporary society on a global level, but also for the Montenegrin context and the so-called Balkan mentality.
Photographs of a naked artist posing with brooms evoke numerous associations, and the strongest symbolism is perhaps the one in which her back is turned and the brooms cross, with a clear connotation of the cross and crucifixion. The power of the naked female body, in contrast of collaboration and simultaneous contradiction with objectification and sexism, sends a message of condemnation, rebellion and activism. Different depictions of different brooms, best known as cleaning tools or accompanying witch associations, point to the dehumanized perceptions of the patriarchal heritage towards women and stereotypes that have been reinforced and hammered into the human mind for centuries. Kamerić confronts all these centuries-old policies and patterns, creating space and encouraging critical thinking about the role of the individual in his own life, but also in contemporary society.
The walls covered with netting and the room in which, once again crucified, there is a nailed installation reminiscent of a curtain or some kind of huge milieu, evoke the feeling of being trapped in tradition and the labyrinth of patriarchy that has been tied for years, and whose threads are often lengthened and strengthened by women. It is easy to fall into the network and become entangled, consciously or unconsciously, and it presents a real challenge in finding a way out of the room, while inviting introspective consideration of one's own role in maintaining structures that parasitize, regress and paralyze humanity.
Walking through the exhibition space, visitors come across different works made in various techniques, of different dimensions and formats, and each of them speaks for itself, but also in common. Each of the items is in its place, it awakens emotion, creation and strength for knowledge, confrontation and further struggle. All the titles of the works, concise, full of metaphors and messages, tell their own story and bear the symbolism of the same issue. Each of the names completes the work and opens new windows for the interpretation and observation of the work itself, but also of life, deepening the setting rounded off as "Firstborn".
The sumptuous symbolism continues in Perjanički dom, with its red and flashy pink identity... The installation, i.e. the complete intervention in the space with the exhibit, called "We come with a bow", exudes various imposed and expected patterns of behavior and lifestyle of girls, women, and women. . Bows in red and pink tones are placed in the space, and there is an inevitable association with femininity and its often trivialized position in social constructs.
Kamerić, through interaction and the language of powerful symbols, opens up space for questioning women's identity, women's relationships with each other, but also women's relationships with themselves. Her art evokes deeply personal reactions, while encouraging and forcing critical thinking about the power structures and gender norms that shape everyday lives. With each of his works, Kamerić invites us to "critically observe the world around us" and to "stop and think" as individuals...
The promotion of the monograph "Mother is a bitch" is expected
Curator Milica Bezmarević pointed out at the opening that the exhibition brings strong artistic perceptions of Šejla Kamerić, which are based on "expressed empathy, as a key mechanism of communication in her artistic work".
Bezmarević emphasized that the idea of this installation was developed through a creative dialogue with the artist, which is focused on questioning identity values based on personal experience, as well as on the social pattern that includes stereotyped concepts of women and femininity.
"The exhibition is thematically conceived, it is designed in such a way that it concerns and touches on certain gender stereotypes that are common to our space to which we belong, and of course all this through a specific artistic expression that is characteristic of Sheila's work, which rests on great empathy and inclusion and of personal and collective identity and memory", said Bezmarević.
She reminded that the exhibition consists of two units: one in the Petrović Castle, where works from several of the author's earlier cycles are displayed, while the other part of the exhibition is located in the Perjanički dom.
"The curiosity is that, thematically, Šejla produced two works that were meant for this exhibition, they are being shown for the first time and will be owned by MSUCG", Bezmarević pointed out and added that MSUCG is a partner in the publication of Šejla Kamerić's monograph "Mother is a bitch". which will be arranged and presented during the exhibition.
Kamerić addressed the audience at the opening, stressing the great joy and satisfaction that "the exhibition is opening after three years of good work on it", only to be interrupted by (un)expected rain, which in a way made the event even bigger. The exhibition is open to the public until November 10.
Bonus video:
