P is for Pussy: Taya Hanauer

About

Just recently a newly elected politician showed us how relevant the symbolism of the cat is today. It is not only that women are “pussy” but that they stand in the way of men’s access to what is supposedly rightfully theirs. At the same time in the artworld, oppressive depictions of all sorts acting out similar sexist and racist sentiments, are legitimized by aesthetic arguments.

P is for Pussy seeks to contextualize oppressive representations and contemporary aesthetic arguments within the narrative of art history. The aesthetic turn to modernism is understood as the social need of maintaining the authority of those in power. The cat is a useful guide in this process, as it illuminates the most simplistic, stereotypical cultural conceptions of femininity and racialized stereotypes historically used as justification for actual oppression.

Modern and contemporary artworks from the collection of the Cat Cabinet (Het Kattenkabinet) in Amsterdam, are framed by prints of well-known artworks from the history of art before the aesthetic turn. The emphasis is not only on representation itself, but on modes of looking, evaluating and practicing art that stand behind representations; influencing and creating them.

--------------------------------------

P is for Pussy takes place at the Bookstore Space as part of the Bookstore Foundation, founded and directed by Johanna de Schipper. This exhibition is made possible thanks to Bob Meijer, founder of the Cat Cabinet (Het Kattenkabinet) is Amsterdam, a museum of artworks featuring cats.