wo[+]man | 5th Human Rights Art Festival

20 - 30.11.2006
CHEAPART Gallery

The 5th Art Festival for the Human Rights with its central topic «Defining gender: New roles­New rights?» is participating to the intense social need for a new approach and understanding of the notion of the gender, the shaping and acceptance of the modern gender identities and the discovery of the procedures that shape and represent gender.

Quite often, the idea that social inequalities between the two genders have ceased to exist, at least at the extent that they used to, is being expressed. Nevertheless, in our days, when values, norms and ideals are being reshaped, human relationships are embodying a new content, since they are receiving intense pressure from new social and emotional needs.

The organization of our societies, despite the intense messages that are being received about people’s discomfort, is being based on a discrimination between the two sexes that is archetypical. A simple discrimination between male and female prevails, although today, many social groups that differ between them in their national identity, social class, age, body condition and sexual orientation, are having a saying, claiming their right to differentiate.

The notion of «gender’ is being used in order to place men and women in distinct biological categories. The term «social gender» was initially established in social sciences in an effort to explain gender-based behaviors, classifications and beliefs.
However, contemporary humanitarian and political sciences consider «gender» as a notion that mainly defines social categories that succumb to specific conditions of sociopolitical empowerment and tuning. It is being used in order to define the social characteristics that are being collectively attributed to men and women, describing thus the limitations and the content of their roles.

In other words, and according to modern feministic, historical and civilian analyses, gender is a socially and historically constructed notion and not a biological categorization, although it is also referring to bodily functions. The emphasis is being removed from the gender and its social construction, to issues that refer to the shaping of cultures and identities. Trying to define and map the several changes that gender roles and communication codes have undergone, 50 Greek and foreigner visual artists, using different expression means (painting, photography, constructions, videos, installations and performance), are discovering the liquid nature of the borderlines between male female and androgynous body, revealing new role models, points of view, expectations and possibilities of expression of difference. In particular, they are trying to penetrate to the stereotypical beliefs and behaviors that refer to social values and put human relationships into narrow frameworks, neglecting the needs and the emotional world of the individual.

Artists: Stefanos Alafouzos, Anna Ambariotou, Dimitris Andonitsis, Maria Andonatou, Angie Andreadaki, Socratis Argeitis, Kimon Axaopoulos, Vasilis Boutos, Kika Charalambidou, Βeeba Christopoulos, Kostas Daflos, Margarita Gelada, Nikos Giavropoulos, Valia Gouzia, Maria Grigoriadi, Elli Griva, Dimitris Halatsis, Christos Harisis, Eleana Haviara, Michalis Eliou, Fotini Kapiris, Niki Kapokaki, Angie Karatza, Harris Kondosphyris, Giannis Koutroulis, Argyro Koutsimpela, Anna Laskari, Tasos Liakopoulos, Maria Lianou, Maria Loizidou, Andreas Lymberatis, Giorgos Lyntzeris, Aliki Moutousi, Sabine Oosterlynck, Kiki Petratou, Kostas Plessas, Christian Rupp, Despoina Sevasti, Andreas Sitorengo, Chrysanthos Sotiropoulos, Tesi Spylioti, Slobodanka Stupar, Lina Theodorou, Filippos Theodoridis, George Tserionis, Maria Tsimbourla, Evaggelia Vasdeki, Andreas Vousouras, Pandelis Xeiroheimonas, Maria Zervou.

Curated by: Costas Theonas
Organized by: OPENHORIZONS
Coordinated by: CHEAPART

Supported by:
General Secretariat for Youth
HOL Hellas on line

Opening: Monday, November 20, 2006
Duration: 20 - 30.11.2006
Hours: Monday - Friday 15:00 - 21:00, Saturday 12:00 - 16:00

CHEAPART
25 A.Metaxa Str.
10681 Athens, Greece