11 photographs and 20 video installations and videos, acquired by the Museum, by either purchase or donation during 2001-2002, were presented in the exhibition. The videos, mostly belonging to the mainly historical axis of the Museum video art collection, were presented in two thematic cycles under the title A Short History of Performance and Feminist Art.
A Short History of Performance (1967-1980)
Performance as a separate artistic genre originated in the late ’60s, relocating the interest from the artist work/object to live action, which usually employs the very artist’s body as a medium of expression. In the thematic cycle A Short History of Performance, works by Bruce Nawman, Vito Acconci, Chris Burden, Marina Abramovic and Ulay and Dan Graham were presented. Through the performance of the artists, the stamina of the body in both physical and psychological tests, the relation between the sexes and between artist and viewer are explored.
Feminist Art (1974-1998)
The so -called feminist art developed in the early ’60s, mainly in Anglo-Saxon countries and is conceived within the ideological context of the women’s movement of the same period. In this thematic cycle video tapes by Lynda Benglis, Martha Rosler, Carolee Schneemann, Dara Birnbaum and Saddie Benning were presented. The critical mood, as far as the position and the role of women in modern society is concerned remains evident in the works, while they simultaneously explore female identity, sexuality and the relation to the human body.
Curated by Anna Kafetsi
