ERINYEN NOW - The Monstrous Figure of the Matriarchy

A group project by Anna Bitter, Samira Freitag, Viviana Kammel, Camille Lacroix, Kristoff Becker, Roman Frechen, Jakob Ketzel, Matze Spohn

ERINYEN NOW - a group project, an exhibition, an Art Novel - is dedicated to the Erinyes (Furies), the goddesses of vengeance and representatives of maternal law, as well as to their transmission in art, also from a feminist point of view. In the collective cultural memory they are less represented than their sister Aphrodite (Venus) - almost unknown. Were they, the daughters of Gaia (Earth) standing for a matriarchy, left in oblivion in the patriarchy? In art, their monstrous figure from Aeschylus' "Oresteia" has prevailed against Goethe's counter-design in "Faust".

How current are the Erinyes? Why is Aphrodite / Venus better known / more popular in the present than the Erinyes? Can the "energia" of the Erinyes myth be influenced by art, by a project like this? Can the story of the Erinyes still grant us an enjoyment of art today? Are the goddesses of vengeance and representatives of the mother's right important in contemporary feminist discourse? How are they and will they be anchored in collective cultural memory in the future?

These considerations are the basis on which an Art Novel will be created, in which the story of the Erinyes will be told through artistic works from the fields of painting, performance, photographic collage, sculpture, installation, video, film, and literature. In addition, theorists will be invited by the artists to be interviewed in order to take up and discuss certain aspects and issues within their works. New facets of the topic could be brought to light, new questions raised, and ideas / concepts and approaches for a thinking of matriarchy found. Each artwork exists in its own right and as part of the Art Novel. In addition to a book publication, all works will be shown in a group exhibition, where the artists, theorists and researchers will be invited to talk together.
Artists were invited to the project who place women at the center of their work, deal with mythologies, or work on contemporary feminist perspectives in art.

On the basis of the artistic contributions, we would like to design, examine, and research counter-models and new interpretations, as well as recall the representatives of the matriarchy. Furthermore, the monstrous figure of matriarchy will be discussed in the context of a collective cultural memory and feminist discourse.
A mythological journey becomes a scholarly conversation.

Most of the work will be created within the framework of a group fellowship of the Kulturstiftung Schloss Wiepersdorf in August 2021.

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*With the term we use, Art Novel, we would like to emphasize, contrary to that of Artist's Novel, that the artistic works are in the foreground and together can make a whole.

Program:

3 p.m.: Reading, Castle Park / Terrace

"Erinyen", excerpt from the prologue for the art novel ERINYEN NOW by Viviana Kammel.

E-cello: Kristoff Becker

3.30 p.m.: Studio tour, Atelierhaus

with works by Kristoff Becker (objects), Anna Bitter (film), Roman Frechen (painting), Samira Freitag (painting and installation), Jakob Ketzel (object and installation), Camille Lacroix (painting), Matze Spohn (photography)

Additional works will be presented in the park.