Adult Female Human - who controls the body?

ADULT FEMALE HUMAN 1994
Alternativas-Alternatives, Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes, X-TeReSa,
Arte Alternitivo. Mexico City, Mexico

Materials : Steel, Plexiglas, wire clothes hangers, printed material on abortion rights, human
uterus, dissected human heart, sheeps brain, disinfectant, scrub brushes, pots and pans.

This ongoing work began in 1988, investigating control of the body, objectification and
powerlessness, and the international struggle over reproductive rights. Each exhibition of this
piece begins with the disinfecting of wire hangers and containment of a woman in the large
specimen jar over a three to four hour period. The accumulated residue of six years, copies of
articles, petitions, and statistics documenting local and international reproductive rights issues,
are used for blotter paper between layers of disinfected hangers and are scattered on the floor
and tables. On the specimen table are also a human uterus, and a Sheeps Brain. A strong smell
of disinfectant permeates the space.

The piece was shown in Mexico City, where it was installed In the domed alter area of a former
convent church located next to the Mexican Presidential White House, (yes, the church is
tilted). Due to its controversy, events surrounding the work were covered by national television.
Four Mexican women participated in the opening actions of the piece, creating tall stacks of
paper and hangers. Reams of bi-lingual and Spanish language articles and statistics were added
to the pre-existing blotter paper materials. In each country where the piece is shown text and
world statistics are translated into appropriate language.

Before entering the specimen jar the women climbed the rope 15 feet toward the church dome
and remained suspended for a time. The women alternately disinfected hangers or were
contained in the jar over the course of 3 hours.

The installation resulting from these actions remained open to the public for one month.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Women's rights
• reproductive rights
• performance art
• community-based art
• live art
• political art
• body art
• X-TeReSa
• Arte Alternitivo. Mexico City
• Mexico
• Arte de Accion
• Shelley Cook-Contreras
• conceptual art
• ice house
• pheonix

[mpinnell2012]

first comment