Historically, the female body has been a recurring object in art, represented through the prism of “the male gaze”. This perspective, as defined by theorist Laura Mulvey, implies a representation of the female body as an object of desire, passive and fragmented, designed to satisfy the visual pleasure of the male viewer. In this context, women have been portrayed, but rarely given the power to portray themselves or others, subverting this power dynamic. In the 20th and 21st centuries, however, “the female gaze” emerged as a way to rewrite visual narratives, allowing women artists to take the active role of creators and challenge traditional male representations of the female body, desire, and identity.

This exhibition brings together works by women artists who explore the representation of the female body, challenging conventions and demanding new ways of seeing. In doing so, the curators propose a dialogue between generations of artists who have challenged conventional representations of the female body through photography, performance, and painting. Through the female gaze, the female body is no longer a passive object of contemplation, but a space of autonomy, resistance, and resignation.

Photographers such as Diane Arbus and Rineke Dijkstra capture their models in states of vulnerability, but also of strength and self-confidence. In Arbus’s work, “otherness” is central: her portraits of unconventional women and bodies confront us with the real, rejecting the artifice of the feminine ideal. Dijkstra, on the other hand, captures adolescent bodies and bodies in transition, where the gaze of the photographed returns an emotional complexity that destabilizes the passive vision of the model.

The performance by Marina Abramović pushes the female body to its limits, turning it into a language in itself. Using her own body as both object and subject, Abramović proposes a reflection on agency, pain, and vulnerability. Similarly, Tracey Emin approaches the body and sexuality from intimacy and the autobiographical, removing the female body from its role as an object of desire and giving it a voice.

On the other hand, artists such as Mona Kuhn and Vanessa Beecroft reinterpret female nudity from a contemporary aesthetic that questions and plays with the boundaries between contemplation, eroticism, and objectification. While Kuhn explores sensuality and intimacy, Beecroft uses groups of nude women in performative installations where collective vision challenges individuality and the viewer’s gaze becomes an integral part of the work.

The female gaze has also been a political space. Tina Modotti, with her committed photography, and Kati Horna, with her surrealist gaze, show how the female body can be a symbol of resistance and social change. On the other hand, Zilia Sánchez reinterprets sensuality from abstraction, moving away from the literal body to explore feminine forms and energies that evoke a powerful presence.

Artists such as Cindy Sherman and Justine Kurland question the roles and stereotypes assigned to women. Through her famous film stills, Sherman exposes the artifice of the visual codes that construct femininity. Kurland, on the other hand, imagines utopian worlds of women away from male scrutiny, creating scenarios where women exist on their own, outside of the external gaze.

Finally, works such as those by Sylvie Fleury and Nahum B. Zenil address how desire and identity can be re-signified from a critical and inclusive perspective, merging gender, desire, and power.

Curatorship:  CIAC Team

Artists: Marina Abramovich, Rita Ackerman, Diane Arbus, Vanessa Beecroft, Elina Brotherus, Rineke Dijkstra, AK Dolven, Tracey Emin, Sylvie Fleury, Saturnino Herrán, Kati Horna, Mona Kuhn, Justine Kurland, Tina Modotti, Zilia Sánchez, Cindy Sherman, Cordelia Urueta, Nahum Zenil.