Irenebrination: Notes on Architecture, Art, Fashion, Fashion Law, Science & Technology

Dance She Must: "The Red Shoes: Beyond the Mirror" @ BFI Southbank, London

Fashion has always been obsessed with red shoes: in their Spring/Summer 2004 collection, titled "The Red Shoes," Viktor & Rolf paired each ensemble with distinct red shoes, ranging from stilettos to slingbacks. The red shoes and the catwalk soundtrack, featuring hits such as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", reminded of the iconic ruby slippers designed by Gilbert Adrian and made by Salvatore Ferragamo for Judy Garland in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.

The fascination with red shoes transcended runways and found its way into cinema, often taking on eerie undertones, as seen in Kim Yong-gyun's 2005 film "Bunhongsin" (The Red Shoes), where a pair of initially beautiful pink shoes (rather than red) transforms from desired to cursed objects. However, the origin of the fascination with red shoes lies in Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's 1948 Technicolor masterpiece.

Regarded by many as one of the finest British films, "The Red Shoes" adapts Hans Christian Andersen's 1845 fairy tale.

The film revolves around Victoria Page, portrayed by ballerina Moira Shearer, who joins the prestigious ballet company directed by impresario Boris Lermontov (Anton Walbrook), a sort of vampiric monster who thinks art is more important than life, and faces a dilemma between her career and her love for conductor and composer Julian Craster (Marius Goring). Vicky's struggle mirrors the tragic choices faced by the protagonist in Andersen's original fairy tale.

A cinematic gem, the film has left a lasting impact on directors like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. Released in 1948, it not only served as a metaphor for art but often influenced fashion collections, with ballet-inspired themes - from leotards and leggings to leg warmers, tutus and ballerinas modelled on en pointe shoes.

Hein Heckroth designed the costumes and set for the film; Carven designed the costumes for Ludmilla Tchérina while Jacques Fath and Malli of London created Moira Shearer's non-ballet wardrobe.

Fath continued to be inspired by the film in the years that followed it: in 1950 he designed a sumptuous rich red silky satin dress with a strapless neckline embellished with a bow, matched with a sculptural stole (View this photo). The attire, modelled by Bettina, was aptly named "The Red Shoes" (the dress also served as the inspiration for an eponymous fragrance).

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the film, celebrated by London's British Film Institute (BFI) Southbank with a Powell and Pressburger season. For the occasion, the BFI has also launched a free exhibition.

Entitled "The Red Shoes: Beyond the Mirror," curated by Claire Smith and Sue Prichard and designed by Simon Costin, the event (running until January 7th) showcases around 100 unseen costume and production designs by Hein Heckroth and Ivor Beddoes (who is actually uncredited on the film, but worked as a design storyboard collaborator together with Heckroth), scripts, behind-the-scenes photographs, personal items owned by Moira Shearer and a dress she donned around the time of the European publicity tour.

Obviously the event includes Moira Shearer's red pointe shoes, loaned to the BFI by the Martin Scorsese Collection and The Film and TV Charity, though some visitors may have already spotted a pair of blood-red ballet slippers worn by Moira Shearer in other exhibitions (such as London's "Shoes: Pleasure and Pain" at the V&A in 2016).

In this exhibition there seems to be a double narrative, one about Shearer's rise to fame (she was just 22 in 1948, and when she went to America with the Sadler’s Wells Ballet in 1949, she was far more famous than Margot Fonteyn) and another about Hekroth's artworks.

According to the BFI researchers, Heckroth and Beddoes produced approximately 2,000 storyboard sketches, drawings, and paintings for the entire film, with the BFI recently acquiring additional drawings by Heckroth.

Heckroth, trained at the Bauhaus but drawing on the surrealist tradition, created a strikingly visual world for this ballet that Powell used to define "Freudian".

For this fantasy-tinged film in which pastel tones created nightmarishly dreamy effects when combined with more vibrant shades, Heckroth came up with pure works of art: to create the set for the 17-minute fantasy ballet sequence, he made 130 oil paintings.

The works were turned into an animated film that was then used as the inspiration for the choreography by Robert Helpmann that was reminiscent of the exotic grandeur of Diaghilev's iconic ballet company, and the score by Brian Easdale. Choreography, music, art, dance, storytelling all came together in Heckroth's illustrations.

The exhibition also introduces the film's legacy with Kate Bush's eponymous album (noteworthy additions include a letter from Michael Powell to Kate Bush in 1989) and costumes and props from Matthew Bourne's 2016 ballet adaptation. But the influence of Powell extends into the works of Margaret Atwood and films by Tilda Swinton to Greta Gerwig.

It would have been nice to expand the legacy of the film with references to fashion and beauty as well: did you ever notice how Vicky's iconic makeup style is evoked by Corinne's red eyeliner in 1982's cult classic "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains"? This could potentially inspire a makeup collaboration with a cosmetics brand.

However, despite red shoes being a consistent obsession in fashion, drawing inspiration from the film requires a deeper exploration of its core message.

"The Red Shoes" is indeed a narrative about the mystery of the obsession of creativity, it is almost an analysis of the compulsion to create. Lermontov asks indeed to Vicky, "Why do you want to dance?" She replies with unwavering composure, "Why do you want to live?" encapsulating in her answer the film's essence. So ponder along these themes and, if you're a creative mind, think about the driving force that compels you to persist in your practice - for in these reflections, you may uncover the true essence of your creative journey.

Atypical Girls: "Women in Revolt! Art, Activism and the Women's Movement in the UK 1970 - 1990" @ Tate Britain, London

A 1979 Fiat 127 Palio advert showed the car in question and a note for consumers: "If it were a lady, it would get its bottom pinched”. Sadly, it was a typical slogan of that "donne e motori" (women and cars) patriarchal binomial equation often used by car manufacturers.

Photographer Jill Posener took a picture of a great alteration of the misogynist billboard: in black spray somebody had added the comment: "If this lady were a car, she'd run you down". Pure bliss.

Posener took further pictures of other defaced ads, from a Lee Cooper denim billboard featuring a muscular model, with a sprayed "I'm a macho bore" to a Pretty Polly tights ad showing a pair of long legs sticking out of an egg with the description "Legs as soft and smooth as the day you were born", defaced with a more punkish "Born Kicking".

Posener's black and white photographs of the hacked adverts that mocked consumerism, punched women's objectification in the face and vindicated women, are part of the recently opened exhibition "Women in Revolt! Art and Activism in the UK 1970 - 1990", currently on at London's Tate Britain (until 7th April 2024).

Curated by Linsey Young with Zuzana Flaskova, Hannah Marsh and Inga Fraser, and with a title inspired by Eve Figes's 1970 text "Patriarchal Attitudes: The Case for Women in Revolt", the exhibition features over 130 women artists and collectives residing and working in the UK.

All of them employed rebellious methods and unconventional approaches to leave an indelible mark on British culture, influencing culture, during a period of profound social, economic, and political transformations.

The most shocking thing about this event - that includes a long list of artists who expressed their thoughts and ideas through a variety of mediums and materials, from painting and drawing to photography, textiles, printmaking, film and sculpture - is the fact that this is actually the first major museum survey that looks back at women artists and collectives in the UK.

In several instances, the featured art and artists depict women pushed to extremes, expressing themselves through screams of pain or pleasure, wails, or sheer exhaustion.

In 1977, artist Robina Rose captured the intense experience of childbirth, filming a woman in labor at home, while "3 Minute Scream," filmed in the late '70s, showcased Gina Birch, a young art student, screaming passionately at the camera. Gina Birch's raw and explosive energy eventually found its outlet in music, leading to the formation of The Raincoats with Ana da Silva.

Similarly, Maureen Scott's powerful painting "Mother and Child at Breaking Point" portrays an exhausted woman holding a screaming child.

Both mentally and physically pushed to their limits and rejected from traditional art spaces turned into exclusive clubs for men, women artists began to experiment with creating their works in unconventional settings - at home, in community centers, and women's cooperatives.

Art graduates and new mothers Su Richardson and Monica Ross, for example, joined forces with artist Kate Walker in the mid-'70s to initiate a women's postal art project. These small, resourceful artworks, made with everyday materials found around the house and with techniques traditionally associated with women's crafts like crocheting, were sent by post, establishing creative communication channels between sender and recipient. The themes they tackled included feelings of entrapment and invisibility as wives and mothers.

Motherhood, as depicted by some of the artists included in the event, offers no redemption; rather, it exposes the harsh realities of pregnancy, childbirth, and caregiving.

Susan Hiller documented her pregnancy through photos of her expanding stomach, while Mary Kelly's "Post-Partum Document" (1973-79) explored the mutual process of socialization between mother and child in the early years of life.

Contrary to the idealized concept of the domestic goddess, many of these women artists challenge the endless cycle of domesticity that often ensnares women. Helen Chadwick transformed fridges and ovens into wearable sculptures, first presenting this performance for her graduation show in 1977.

Alexis Hunter's "The Marxist's Wife (Still Does the Housework)" features a woman's hand attempting to clean an image of Karl Marx's face with the words "Revolutionary", "Thinker", "Man". The surface becomes increasingly dirty as she approaches the word "Man". The work is a comment on Marx's refusal to recognize the significance of female domestic labor within the home.

The portrayal of women as working machines, constantly laboring both within and outside the home, is a recurring theme. Many women were (actually, are) trapped in a routine that involved (involves) rising at five to prepare breakfast, cleaning the house, going to work, then returning to childcare and dinner.

The recreation of Bobby Baker's 1976 installation titled "An Edible Family in a Mobile Home" is used to make a comment about domesticity and women.

This installation features a life-size family crafted from cake, installed in a small 1960s prefab house similar to Baker's own early residence.

The walls and floors are adorned with tabloid pages, ranging from publications such as Jackie and the Daily Mail. Notably, the mother in this edible family is mobile and represented by an articulated plastic mannequin that can traverse the space, offering snacks from compartments in her stomach, symbolizing the fact she is almost a robotic entity, a dispenser of love and food.

The empashis on bodies in these artworks becomes a means of reclaiming agency over one's body and space, asserting control in situations where control may be lacking, and finding empowerment in self-expression. Frequently, this empowerment was channeled through acts of protest like the one that followed the 1970 edition of Miss World.

Broadcast live on BBC One, the show took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and was hosted by Bob Hope. The American comedian commented that it was like a "cattle market". "I've been back there checking calves," he added. Soon after, he was met by flour bombs threw by women in his direction.

Margaret Harrison participated in the Miss World protest as Miss Loveable Bra, wearing a pre-formed plastic chest with orange fur nipples and a smile on a stick. Harrison's art also encountered challenges: her solo exhibition at Motif Editions Gallery in London faced closure after just one day on charges of indecency.

The exhibition's satirical drawings portrayed pin-up girls on giant bananas or in ice-cream cones, to hint at the fact they were as consumable as the food they were associated with. But the pin-ups weren't the problem: it was her portrayal of Playboy magnate Hugh Hefner as a buxom Bunny that irked the police.

Harrison went on to co-found the London Women's Liberation Art Group and the Women's Workshop of the Artists' Union, and then focused on the experience of working women. With Mary Kelly and Kay Hunt she documented the experiences of female workers in a south-east London metal box factory, aiming to uncover the tangible impact of the Equal Pay Act of 1970 - a key demand of the women's movement - and discovered that little had changed.

Harrison also created artwork on Greenham Common, a peace camp established in 1981 by a group of Welsh women. A reaction to the storage of US nuclear missiles at Greenham Common in Berkshire, the camp lasted for almost two decades.

The strength of collective action is evident in the exhibition: visitors are reminded how on the night the UK government, led by Margaret Thatcher, passed the controversial Section 28 law in 1988, which prohibited the "promotion" of homosexuality, six lesbian activists entered the House of Lords and two of them descended from a balcony using a washing line rope.

Artists actively reacted to Section 28 and the AIDS crisis: Tessa Boffin's images of a lesbian angel exploring safe sex, comment about the neglect of lesbians in sex education and healthcare.

This desire to come together was almost a reaction to Thatcher's obsession for individualism, embodied by the claim that there was "no such thing as society". The exhibition highlights indeed that collective action was a potent force for female artists in the 1980s. 

The music scene also played a significant role and the exhibition includes among the others X-Ray Spex' Marianne Elliott-Said (Poly Styrene), The Neo Naturists, Throbbing Gristle's Cosey Fanni Tutti (the exhibition features a leotard for her striptease performances), collagist Linder and Jill Westwood.

Frontwoman for the noise band Fistfuck, Westwood engaged in provocative performances that blurred the boundaries between art and life, urinating on and beating willing audience members.

The exhibition is actually accompanied also by a 14-track album released on Music for Nations, co-compiled by exhibition curator Linsey Young and Julie Weir, Head of Music for Nations, featuring tracks from the most trailblazing women working in the British industry between 1977 and 1985 (it features The Slits, X-Ray Spex, The Raincoats and Strawberry Switchblade among the others).

The exhibition also looks at Black women, who suffered marginalization on both racial and gender fronts, among the other work there is also Marlene Smith's sculptural installation, titled "Good Housekeeping". Originally created in 1985 as a response to the tragic police shooting of Dorothy "Cherry" Groce at her doorstep earlier that year, the recreated installation portrays a Black woman positioned beneath the poignant words, "My mother opens the door at 7 am. She is not bulletproof."

Claudette Johnson, a painter, is remembered: in 1985 she curated the exhibition "The Thin Black Line", featuring key figures like Ingrid Pollard, Sonia Boyce, Sutapa Biswas, and Chila Kumari Singh Burman. "Women in Revolt!" includes 1985 Biswas' Housewives with Steak-Knive, a portrait of Kali, the goddess of destruction and dispeller of evil, as a housewife wielding steak knives, wearing a string of heads around her neck symbolizing evil dictators.

Aside from original art, "Women in Revolt!" includes a vast selection of memorabilia, such as magazines, flyers, badges, and other tangible mementos like the agitprop posters for progressive causes by the See Red Women's Workshop. One of their first works featured a green-skinned woman rejecting traditional roles of housewives and porn mag models. The workshop was vandalized by the National Front for their posters challenging a sexist, racist, and homophobic society.

"Women in Revolt!" is not just about rediscovering artists who may have been forgotten or presenting them to new generations (as other exhibitions about women artists are currently doing), but it is about taking stock, considering also how things haven't changed that much.

Women are still fighting for equality, abortion rights are trampled upon, there is no end to violence, abuses and rapes and feminicides that, in some countries in Europe such as Italy, keep on happening every day.

Some things have actually changed - if you think about it, feminism has mutated, it has splintered in many different categories. This was the year of capitalist feminism (or feminist capitalism...), a trend that prevailed after Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" film, but that started a few years ago with some fashion houses à la Dior, telling women we should all be feminist, but essentially selling us overpriced products that most of us simply can't afford.

Is there an antidote to all this? Keeping on being creative, like these women did, writing, painting, sculpting, weaving, embroidering, knitting or crocheting (check out Rita McGurn's trio of women on a crocheted rug made with scraps of wool) without forgetting a healthy dose of rage, anger and activism.

Almost as an invitation to keep on working and being creative, the exhibition closes with a recreated piece from Kate Walker's 1987 performance "Art of Survival, A Living Monument": a shirt, skirt and paint palette in stone-coloured fabric on a plinth, a  symbolic "monument" to overlooked women artists. Rather than waiting to be acknowledged posthumously, Walker suggested indeed that women shouldn't remain passive.

The women in this exhibition found their own space, at times going solo, in other cases becoming part of a community or a collective or even founding one. So be active, be angry and, if you feel the need, scream. Because that's what has been missing, not only in the art scene, but in everyday life - a woman's joyful, defiant, enraged, painful yet vengeful scream. 

The exhibition is accompanied by a podcast including artist interviews and a Spotify playlist featuring the album artists and the new generations of musicians they have inspired. After Tate Britain, "Women in Revolt!" will transfer to Edinburgh's National Galleries (May 2024 - January 2025) and Manchester's Whitworth Art Gallery (March - June 2025).

Image credits for this post

1. Jill Posener, Fiat Ad, London, 1979, reprinted 2023. Courtesy of the artist

2. Gina Birch, still from Three Minute Scream, 1977. Courtesy the artist

3. Installation view of Maureen Scott's "Mother and Child at Breaking Point" at" Women in Revolt!", Tate Britain, London, 2023 © Tate (Larina Fernandes)

4. Su Richardson, Sand Souvenir, 1975-76 © Su Richardson Courtesy of Richard Saltoun Gallery, London and Rome. All rights reserved, DACS 2023

5. Postal Art displayed in "Women in Revolt!", Tate Britain. Photo © Tate (Madeline Buddo)

6. Installation view of Susan Hiller's Ten Months at "Women in Revolt!", Tate Britain, London, 2023 © Tate (Larina Fernandes)

7. Helen Chadwick, In the Kitchen (Stove), 1977 © The Estate of the Artist. Courtesy Richard Saltoun Gallery, London and Rome

8. Alexis Hunter, The Marxist Wife Still Does The Housework, 1978/2005. © The Estate of Alexis Hunter Courtesy of Richard Saltoun Gallery, London and Rome. All rights reserved, DACS 2023

9 - 12. Bobby Baker Edible Family. Photo (c) Tate (Madeline Buddo)

13. Margaret Harrison, Banana Woman, 1971. Purchased by Tate in 2008. © Margaret F Harrison

14. Installation view of Margaret Harrison's Greenham Common installation at "Women in Revolt!", Tate Britain, London, 2023 © Tate (Larina Fernandes)

15. Installation view, "Women in Revolt!" at Tate Britain, London, 2023 © Tate (Larina Fernandes)

16. Alison Lloyd, SUPPORT THE MINERS, Solidarity will win! 1984 © Alison Lloyd

17. Mumtaz Karimjee, Stop the Clause protest, 1988. Photograph. Courtesy the artist

18. Tessa Boffin, Untitled #1, 1989_2023, Photo by JSP Art Photography

19. Dr Jill Westwood, Potent-Female, 1983. © Dr Jill Westwood

20. Caroline Coon, The Slits, Post House hotel, Cardiff, June 1977, 1977. Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman Gallery London and New York

21. Marian Elliott-Said (A.K.A Poly Styrene), Germ Free Adolenscents, 1977. Courtesy of the Polystyrene Estate and Archive

22. Installation view of Cosey Fanni Tutti's bodysuit at "Women in Revolt!", Tate Britain, London, 2023 © Tate (Larina Fernandes)

23. Linder, Untitled, 1976. Purchased by Tate in 2007. © Linder

24. Installation view of Marlene Smith's "Good Housekeeping" at "Women in Revolt!", Tate Britain, London, 2023 © Tate (Larina Fernandes)

25. Chila Kumari Singh Burman, Solidarity with Sisters, 1981. Photography Varda Agarwal

26. Installation view of Sutapa Biswas' Housewives with Steak-Knives, 1985, at "Women in Revolt!", Tate Britain, London, 2023 © Tate (Larina Fernandes)

27. See Red Women’s Workshop, 1974-1990, Protest, 1974. See Red Women’s Workshop

28. Installation view of Rita McGurn, Untitled Rug and Figures, at "Women in Revolt!", Tate Britain, London, 2023 © Tate (Larina Fernandes)

29. Installation view of Rita Keegan's Red Me, 1986 at "Women in Revolt!", Tate Britain, London, 2023 © Tate (Larina Fernandes)

30. Installation view of Kate Walker's 1987 "Art of Survival, A Living Monument" at "Women in Revolt!", Tate Britain, London, 2023 © Tate (Larina Fernandes)

Breaking the Canvas Ceiling: "Maestras" @ Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, Spain

In the catalogue for the "Maestras" (Women Masters) exhibition currently on at Madrid's Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, curator Rocío de la Villa highlights the historical challenges faced by women artists.

De la Villa references for example the groundbreaking exhibition "Women Artists: 1550-1950" organized at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1976, curated by Ann Sutherland Harris and Linda Nochlin. Spanning four centuries, this was the first major show devoted to women.

The exhibition toured the United States, but was never shown in Europe and triggered anger in many of the visitors with Florence Howe, editor of the Women's Studies Newsletter, wondering at the time "Where have all these paintings been?" then replying to her own question "hidden, lost, obscured in some cases for centuries".

In the 1980s, writers and art critics Rozsika Parker and Griselda Pollock provided more in-depth researches into the systematic disappearance of women artists from history. Bizarrely, this disappearance coincided with the expansion of art institutions and the establishment of modern art museums. Indeed, despite the ongoing discovery of women artists, their work struggled to fit into a male-centric narrative (written by men and for men). In a way it was as if, while most women did not have access to art history, those who accessed it were made invisible.

Yet while women artists written out of history were brought back into the spotlight through illustrated stories, graphic novels, literary biographies, and biopics during the fourth wave of feminism, the integration of their works into historical museums still faces challenges as resistance persists.

De la Villa emphasizes therefore the need for feminist rewriting of art history, challenging traditional categories, prejudices, and criteria to acknowledge gender relations as a crucial factor in cultural production and significance.

To this end, the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum in Madrid recently launched the exhibition "Maestras" (through February 4th, 2024) that reshifts the attention on women. The event explores through 100 paintings, lithographs and sculptures, eight narratives from the late 1500s to the 1930s, addressing pivotal issues in women's history and showcasing the diverse artistic languages used by female artists.

Each section, focusing on specific times and places, illustrates how, despite the prevailing patriarchal system, women artists, patrons and gallerists, engaged with ideas and causes throughout history. The event ultimately culminates in the recognition of women's emancipation and liberation in the early 20th century.

The starting point for the exhibition is the notion of sisterhood with a section that bears an Italian title, "La causa delle donne" (women's cause). The title refers to the literary and academic debate that occurred in Europe from the late 14th century to the French Revolution, advocating for women's intellectual capabilities, their right to knowledge, and participation in politics despite prevailing misogyny. At the time the laws did not allow indeed women to hold public offices and women were not admitted in jurisdictions, councils or mediations because it was thought that they lacked a "rational soul".

This debate is tackled in the exhibition through the works of various Northern Italian female artists active in the late 16th and throughout the 17th century. These artists, operating within family workshops, benefited instead from a socio-political climate and art theories supportive of women in the Papal States.

The artworks in this section depict the lives and accomplishments of female biblical figures and classical heroines - strong resilient women who triumphed through virtue and symbolize victory over gender violence. Notable examples include Lavinia Fontana's "Judith with the Head of Holofernes" (1600), Artemisia Gentileschi's "Judith and her Maidservant" (1618-19) and "Susannah and the Elders" (1623), along with Elisabetta Sirani's "Portia wounding herself in the thigh" (1664).

The works of Artemisia Gentileschi also point at her life vicissitudes: Gentileschi was raped at 17 by her painting tutor Agostino Tassi. She went through a seven-month trial and was tortured to prove she was telling the truth.

This is actually a key section in the exhibition as all the women featured in these paintings are not passive, they do not just "appear" on the canvas or shrink back in the corner where men wanted to pigeonhole them, but they are the very active dominant characters in these scenes. Think about Gentileschi's Judith who, pictured after killing Holofernes and almost casually carrying her sword over her shoulder, is clearly portrayed as the one detaining power, or Gentileschi's two versions of Susannah. In one the young woman covers herself, concealing her body from the old men's prying gaze; in another she leans back and raises her hand firmly to block their way and as a gesture to express her refusal to accept the status of object.

From Biblical subjects, visitors are then introduced to the still life genre. Botanical, biological and medical knowledge among women was usually linked to witchcraft (think about famous witches in literature, Medea included). But the scientific revolution changed this perception also thanks to noblewomen and representatives of the upper bourgeoisie who created experimental gardens, interacted with botanists who were members of scientific societies, and surrounded themselves with artists - many of them women - who depicted their discoveries. Flowers and still lifes, genres that occupied a lower rank in the arts hierarchy, were therefore used to express their scientific knowledge.

This section focuses on the role of women artists in the emergence and maximum splendour of the genre of still life, with the works of artist-scientists like the German Maria Sibylla Merian alongside works by 17th-century Italian and Central European women painters such as Fede Galizia, Giovanna Garzoni, and Clara Peeters. Additionally, it includes pieces from French and British artists like Louise Moillon and Mary Beale. Their works showcase the virtuosity of these painters but also their powers of observation and scientific understanding (if you don't like the genre, try to be inspired by the palettes used by these artists). 

During the Enlightenment, salonnières - influential women who hosted intellectual and artistic gatherings - emerged in France. Many of them became patrons of the arts and active contributors to cultural discussions. Notably, the artistic patronage of figures like Marie Antoinette and the Mesdames significantly contributed to recognizing the importance of female artistic production, especially within the Academy.

This period, spanning from 1770 to 1850, is spotlighted in the next section featuring works by British, French, and Spanish artists who were active before and after the French Revolution. Artists like Angelica Kauffmann, Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, Louise-Élisabeth Vigée-Le Brun (who portrayed Lady Hamilton as a Bacchante and Madame de Staël as Corinne at Cape Miseno), and Victoria Martin Barhié focused on portraiture, genre painting, and Neo-classical scenes, portraying a diverse array of female roles in a distinctly theatrical manner. However, their prominence waned with the expulsion of female academicians in 1804 due to the Napoleonic Code, which stripped women of various rights, including citizenship, following the failed revolution - a restrictive model was subsequently enforced in Spain and across Europe.

Distant and exotic places and the charm of local and rural settings attracted many artists in the second half of the 19th century. But, while male artists portrayed such themes from a patriarchal, and at times "voyeuristic" colonial perspective, women artists injected in their works empathy and connection with non-western women. In doing so, they brought a sense of dignity to the themes and subjects portrayed.

French, American, and Spanish women artists from the late 18th century to the initial decades of the 20th century – among them Rosa Bonheur, whose fascination extended to the exoticism of Spanish culture, and the acclaimed Orientalist painter Henriette Browne, who created artworks along this genre during her travels in Muslim countries.

Browne traveled to Morocco in 1864 and to Egypt and Syria during the winter of 1868-1869. Probably during her journey to Morocco and Algeria, she portrayed with exquisite delicacy and elegance a young peasant woman (fellah) from North Africa (see her painting "A North-African Fellah", 1867).

Pioneers of this trend also encompass Mary Cassatt, who embarked on her artistic journey in Seville, and Spanish painters like Alejandrina Gessler de Lacroix, Elena Brockmann de Llanos, and María Blanchard.

The next two sections are deeply interconnected looking at working women and mothers: as they were excluded from official academies, women from across Europe and America sought artistic education in private, segregated art schools in Paris. But demands for women's rights grew bringing to the foundation of the first associations of women artists and creating the Women's Pavilion at the World's Columbian Exhibition in Chicago in 1893.

The artworks in this section look at female workers engaged in both traditional tasks and in modern trades and professions (Sylvia Pankhurst portrayed a woman changing the bobbin in a cotton spinning mill in Glasgow, for example) through paintings that highlighted camaraderie and solidarity among women.

Notable examples include "Washerwomen” (1882) by Marie-Louise Petiet, "The Cherry Tree" (1891) by Berthe Morisot, "Housewives" (1905) by Lluïsa Vidal, and "The Shoe Shop" (ca. 1911) by Elizabeth Sparhawk-Jones, who portrayed shop assistants serving ladies trying on shoes.

The subject of motherhood, extensively represented throughout art history, took on a new dimension at the end of the 19th century as female artists began depicting women's feelings on this topic, challenging the patriarchal discourse surrounding the "angel of the hearth."

This exhibition section features exceptional works such as "Ver Sacrum (Self-portrait with the artist’s son Peter)" (1901) by Elena Luksch-Makowsky, "Mother and Child, half figure" (1906) by Paula Modersohn-Becker, "Marie Coca and her Daughter Gilberte" (1913) by Suzanne Valadon, "Mother and Child" (1932) by Tamara de Lempicka and "Breakfast in Bed" (1897) by Mary Cassatt, a carefully balanced composition portraying her niece Ellen Mary that highlights the distance between mother and child.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, women artists, influenced by the male Impressionists, began portraying female friends in pairs, threesomes, or groups engaged in shared study or leisure activities. These depictions capture moments of togetherness where seemingly mundane interactions become the focus, giving rise to a new iconography - friendship between women.

This second section on sisterhood features artworks by European and American women painters from 1880 to the 1920s, including "Sisters" (1869) by Berthe Morisot, "Three Women with Parasols (The Three Graces)" (ca. 1880) by Marie Bracquemond, "The Bouquet" (1925) by Lola Anglada, and "Twilight Confidences" (1888) by Cecilia Beaux. Of clear photographic inspiration and keen psychological insight, Beaux' painting captures the moment of conversation between two women strolling along Concarneau beach in the summer of 1888, where Beaux exceptionally practiced plein air painting.

Between 1900 and 1937, a period coinciding with women gaining the right to vote in most Western countries, a considerable number of women started enjoying new opportunities: they integrated into various avant-garde groups, exhibited alongside men in collective showcases, got involved in the staging of theatrical performances, and some, still young, held solo exhibitions in prestigious spaces while paying tribute to artists from earlier generations.

Despite their success and recognition during their lifetimes, many of these artists, such as Camille Claudel, Jacqueline Marval, Helene Funke (her painting "In the Theatre Box" engages in a dialogue with similar scenes depicted by Degas, and features three young women portrayed from very unique visual angles), Natalia Goncharova, Frida Kahlo (the exhibition features her "Tehuacan Girl", portrait of a young girl sitting on a rock with bare feet, holding a small toy airplane in her hands, suspended between day and night, symbolized by the Aztec pyramids of the sun and the moon - the portrait may have been a way to celebrate her indigenous roots in dialectic with modernity), Ángeles Santos, and Maruja Mallo, were subsequently erased from history and museums, often due to historical events like World War II or the Francoist dictatorship in Spain.

This final section of the exhibition showcases the enduring impact and creativity of these remarkable women artists.

"Women Artists: 1550–1950" served as a groundbreaking milestone, shedding light on female artists who had long remained obscured beyond their immediate circles, prompting in-depth studies of their contributions. It not only brought overdue recognition but also unveiled the invisibility that had shrouded these artists, exposing the oversight.

However, paradoxically, the exhibition assimilated these women into the very artistic canons that Linda Nochlin sought to critique or dismantle. Simultaneously, it inadvertently paved the way for what we now identify as "purple washing" - token inclusion of a few women in collections without challenging the prevailing discourse.

"Maestras" is a way to ponder about the ambiguous ways in which women artists were portrayed, but also invites visitors to discover more about these artists, from the positions they held to their active participation in artist’s associations, and the support they received from their mentors, colleagues, husbands, brothers, and art dealers.

Carolina Herrera, sponsor of the event (so there's also a connection with fashion here) provides us with a better definition for "Maestras" in the exhibition catalogue.

"Virginia Woolf demanded a room of her own to develop her writing, these creators had to fight to conquer their workshop, their canvases, their brushes, and their colors," she states, "this exhibition tells a story of audacity, challenges, and talent."

"Maestras" is accompanied by a film program Women Masters' Lives: The Legacy and Testament of Women Artists (17th to 20th centuries) and a Spotify playlist compiled by Rocío de la Villa, curator of the exhibition, that features music by the composers known and heard by the women masters featured in the exhibition. After its presentation in Madrid, it will travel (in a reduced format) at the Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck in Remagen, Germany, from 25 February to 16 June 2024.

Image credits for this post

1 - 2. Maestras - Installation views

3.
Elisabetta Sirani
Portia Wounding her Thigh, 1664, 1664
Oil on canvas. 101 x 138 cm. Collezioni d'Arte e di Storia della Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio, Bologna

4.
Artemisia Gentileschi
Judith and her Maidservant, 1618-1619
Oil on canvas. 114 × 93,5 cm. Gallerie degli Uffizi, Florence

5.
Clara Peeters
Still Life with Flowers, a Silver-gilt Goblet, Almonds, Dried Fruit, Sweetmeats, Bread sticks, Wine and a Pewter Pitcher, 1611
Oil on canvas. 52 × 73 cm. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid

6.
Fede Galizia
Crystal Fruit Stand with Peaches, Quinces and Jasmine Flowers, 18th century. Pinacoteca Ala Ponzone-Museo Civico, Cremona
Oil on canvas. 28,8 × 41 cm. Pinacoteca Ala Ponzone-Museo Civico, Cremona

7.
Louise-Elisabeth Vigée-Le Brun
Lady Hamilton as a Bacchante, ca. 1790-1792
Oil on canvas. 132.5 x 105.5 cm. National Museums Liverpool, Lady Lever Art Gallery

8.
Henriette Browne
A North African Fellah, 1867
Oil on canvas. 98 x 74 cm. John H. Josephson & Carolina F. Zapf

9.
Lluïsa Vidal
The Housewives, 1905
Oil on canvas. 180 × 139 cm. Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Barcelona

10.
Elizabeth Sparhawk-Jones
The Shoe Shop, ca. 1911
Oil on canvas. 99,1 × 79,4 cm. The Art Institue of Chicago, The William Owen Goodman and Erna Sawyer Goodman Collection

11.
Mary Cassat
Breakfast in Bed, 1897
Oil on canvas. 58,4 × 73,7 cm. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino

12.
Paula Modersohn-Becker
Mother and Daughter, Half Figure, 1906
Oil on cardboard. 74,5 × 52 cm. Von der Heydt-Museum Wuppertal. Photo: Antje Zeis-Loi, Medienzentrum Wuppertal

13.
Berthe Morisot
The Sisters, 1869
Oil on canvas. 52,1 × 81,3 cm. National Gallery of Art, Washington

14.
Cecilia Beaux
Twilight Confidences, 1888
Oil on canvas. 59,7 × 71,1 cm. Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia

15.
Helene Funke
In the Theatre Box, 1904-1907
Oil on canvas. 99 × 90 cm. Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz. Reinhard Haider © Peter Funke Estate

16.
María Blanchard
The Two Sisters, 1921
Oil on canvas. 116,5 × 82,5 cm. Colección de Arte ABANCA

17.
Frida Kahlo
Girl from Tehuacán. Lucha María, 1942
Oil on masonite. 54,5 × 43,3 cm. Colección Pérez Simón, México. © Rafael Doniz @ 2023 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, México, D.F./VEGAP

18.
Natalia Goncharova
The Carriers, 1911
Oil on canvas. 130,5 × 101 cm. Centre Pompidou, Paris. Musée national d'art moderne / Centre de création industrielle

When What You See Is Not What You May Get: Consumers Vs Artificial Intelligence

What you see is what you get, says the adage, but nowadays things are more complicated than that. Filters on social media deceive us and retouched images show us models and celebrities flaunting flawlessly perfect skin and bodies across the Internet and in print publications.

The disillusionment often extends beyond manipulated visuals to online shopping: as consumers we may see an item we like, order it and then receive something completely different.

This often happens with ultra-fast retailers that sometimes post on their sites or apps a flawless product (likely a sample of the actual product), but, upon delivery, we realize it was a scam as the item has rather bizarre proportions (quite often it is tiny) or simply lacks the anticipated beauty and craftsmanship we thought it had.

At the moment there is a relatively new practice: posting images of items that look pretty good and affordable, but that actually do not exist. Basically, you see them, you make your purchase and then you receive an infinitely cheaper version of what you ordered.

This is the scheme of ultra-fast fashion retailers, yes, but there is a twist in this new version of the scam: the images of the items that do not exist are usually generated by Artificial Intelligence.

One of the retailers that have been using this tactic is ccmom.cc, specializing in children’s clothes or matching family outfits. Among the designs that attracted numerous consumers there are some eye-catching pieces, such as a colorful jumper with clusters of cute one or triple-eyed monsters, a quilted bomber jacket with a motif of clouds in kawaii pastel shades, another bomber with a motif calling to mind Van Gogh's Starry Night and a jumper with a three-dimensional tiger that seems to jump out from the garment.

The clothes look perfectly fine and wearable, and they are also very affordable (less than $30). However, the reality for some unlucky buyers deviated significantly from the enticing images.

According to reviews posted online, the bomber didn't feature any motifs of quilted clouds, and wasn't even a bomber, but a light rain jacket with a colorful yet flat and very basic print.

The tiger sweater didn't feature any three-dimensional motif but only a flat intarsia image of a tiger; the same trick was used for the cotton dungarees with three-dimensional blooming flowers and butterflies, in this case, though, rather than printing the motifs directly on the garment, they printed and appliqued them individually on the design.

A post on the Midjourney subreddit a few months ago explained the mystery: the images of those items and of others as well were created using Artificial Intelligence.

Indeed, Midjourney effortlessly produces monster knits with quirky features, occasionally going overboard with extra eyes and bumpy faces. Even without using the word "monster" in the prompt, combining terms like "kawaii", "stuffed animals", "toys", and "fun moods" generates maybe more chaotic, but very similar designs that with the due variations and changes on the platform can become the eye-catching colorful jumper on ccmom.cc.

The bomber with the Starry Night motif could almost be considered as a typical AI design: in the early days of text-to-image software, many prompt engineers or tech experts explained in online video and articles, how to use these systems employing Van Gogh’s painting as example (in prompts with the moniker "in the style of Van Gogh's Starry Night").

AI's ability to create designs like the bomber with quilted clouds relies on prompts with keywords like "kawaii", "pastel", and "cute" (as proved by image 12 in this post).

Interestingly enough, this practice isn't limited to dubious retailers; some artists use AI-generated images of non-existent pieces, posting them on Instagram without explicitly disclosing the involvement of AI. If orders materialize, they seek collaborators or companies to manufacture these pieces.

While consumers who ordered children's clothes and received low quality outfits posted reviews online, the absence of reviews from wealthy collectors poses a challenge in establishing if these pieces are really high quality as they look. In some cases, the artwork incorporates famous copyrighted characters such as Bart Simpson, Batman or Darth Vader, So, even if the pieces are actually good quality, they may pose some legal issues. 

The use of AI generated images to sell poorly made garments makes you wander how this practice will evolve. Will we see established fashion brands or houses doing the same, and maybe generating an image of an exclusive item designer by AI and making the said item only after receiving orders (Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga, maybe?), after all, the designs generated using Midjourney by ccmom.com could still be produced as they are not really experimental and bizarre designs of the sort that only Artificial Intelligence may produce (in which case they would obviously be more expensive for the materials and techniques employed to make them).

Yet, considering the recent French law regulating influencers, questions arise about whether there should be legislation overseeing the use of Artificial Intelligence and protecting customers in such cases. While encountering counterfeit items online is not new, the sophistication and complexity introduced by AI necessitate heightened caution.

In the absence of specific laws, we as consumers should always check for reviews of sites and products, compare prices on different platforms, scrutinize sellers' details, and refrain from impulsive purchases. 

In the event of a mismatch between the ordered and received item, writing online reviews, lodging complaints, and seeking refunds may contribute to safeguarding us all. In a nutshell, let's stay vigilant, employ critical thinking, and embrace skepticism to identify sites using AI-generated images to sell low quality products.

From Oversight to Legislation: After France, Will There Be Other Countries Issueing Game-Changing Regulations for Influencers?

Influencer marketing and content creation witnessed considerable growth in recent years. All sorts of brands from a wide range of industries, from food to fashion, turned to influencers to endorse their products or services. This practice has alerted governments in different countries, especially when these collaborations and endorsements targeted a youth demographic, at times spreading disinformation.

In France, for example, the DGCCRF (Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control; part of the Ministry of the Economy and taking care of regulation of market competition, economic protection of consumers and consumer safety) actively conducted a series of investigations over the years to oversee the commercial practices of influencers and verify adherence to consumer protection regulations.

Since 2021 the DGCCRF targeted and inspected over sixty influencers and agencies, all of them active in promoting products and services such as dietary supplements, "slimming" programs, cosmetics, as well as trading or online betting services. The controls specifically focused on influencers with a significant number of followers or those reported by consumers. 

In January 2023, the DGCCRF published a press release with the results of its investigation: on this occasion, it was observed that the practices of 60% of the influencers did not comply with advertising regulations and consumer rights and did not adhere to rules regarding the transparency of the commercial nature of their publications.

Some also misled consumers about the properties of the products sold (false anti-COVID claims, products labeled as organic or natural that were not) or promoted risky products or services, particularly in connection with sports betting, bypassing the rules governing these products. Additionally, other influencers promoted aesthetic injections by beauticians and non-health professionals, a practice posing health risks or practiced dropshipping, neglecting associated rules, including their obligations as sellers to consumers.

As a result, several procedures were initiated to admonish or sanction the offenders. Up until this year, influencers in France (around 150,000 according to estimates) had to adhere to all rules applicable to advertisements. For instance, they had to indicate if their publication had a commercial nature or complied with specific advertising modalities related to certain products or services (financial services or gambling), as well as advertising prohibitions (tobacco/alcohol, medicines, hazardous products, etc.).

Things developed further, though, especially after a series of scandals involving influencers (among the others Nabilla Vergara, a reality TV star fined €20,000 in 2021 for not telling her followers that she had been paid to promote a financial training service run by a website specialised in buying and selling bitcoin). A group of consumers claiming they followed influencers' advice and became victims of frauds - the Help for Victims of Influencers - was also founded.

At the beginning of June this year the French parliament adopted a bipartisan bill to regulate the online promotional activities of influencers. The law, passed unanimously, came into force on June 9th, and it represented the first set of rules in Europe and in the world that tries to regulate the work of influencers.

The law defines influencers as "natural or legal persons who use their reputation among their audience to communicate content to the public by electronic means, to promote by electronic means, directly or indirectly, goods, services or any cause whatsoever for an economic benefit or any advantage."

A definition for influencers' agent is also implemented, their activity consists in "representing or putting in contact, for consideration, natural or legal persons carrying on the activity defined in Article 1 [influencers] with natural or legal persons requesting their services, to promote goods, services, practices or any cause whatsoever."

A written contract between the influencer and the company requiring their services is mandatory when the amounts involved exceed a certain amount (the text also includes measures to hold platforms accountable).

Previously, there was a rule requiring influencers to disclose when content was associated with sponsorship (but this exists in other countries as well, think about marking a post as 'adv' or 'ad'; however, this practice led to influencers using terms like 'supplied,' which may or may not accurately convey a paid partnership…). The new regulations now make it mandatory to clearly state when a post is sponsored or if it is a paid collaboration ("Publicité" or "Collaboration commerciale"), generated by artificial Intelligence ("Image virtuelle"), or restricted to the public ("Interdit aux moins de 18 ans"). These mentions must be easily discernible and legible, appearing on the image, video, or message throughout the entire promotional period.

The updated law also mandates the disclosure of modified content using filters or photo retouching for advertising purposes ("Image retouchée"). This provision, designed to protect vulnerable users, especially young people susceptible to self-esteem issues and depression due to altered social content, aims to ensure transparency about edited visuals.

Alongside the existing ban on alcohol content promotion, sanctioned by the Evin law (originating in 1991 and applied to social media as of last May), there will now be an additional prohibition on sponsoring any product containing nicotine, tobacco, and vaping products. The new legislation encompasses several other restrictions, including hazardous contracts, digital assets, public offers of digital tokens (unless authorized by the French AMF), and the advertising of certain practices such as cosmetic surgery. Posts about gambling and sports betting will only be permitted on platforms accessible exclusively to adult users.

Moreover, any advertisement or communication featuring non-domestic animals will be prohibited unless specific authorization is obtained.

The law also seeks to shield users from the potential risks associated with dropshipping products (the practice of selling online through virtual stores a product not physically owned by the seller within the warehouse).

In many cases, these products are sold at inflated prices due to commissions, and if promoted deceptively, these platforms may vanish after receiving payment, leaving consumers vulnerable to scams. In this case the principle of joint and several liability is introduced, implicating influencers in the responsibility for promoting products to buyers, ensuring accountability for the products they sponsor. So influencers are now responsible for the products sold to consumers, they must ensure compliance with EU rules (that also highlight you can't sell counterfeited products), investigate product availability, and provide essential information about suppliers before orders are placed.

As many influencers operate from locations with favorable tax regulations, such as Dubai, the text seeks to mandate influencers operating from outside the European Union, Switzerland, or the European Economic Area to obtain civil liability insurance within the EU.

Non-compliance with advertising regulations by influencers may result in penalties of up to two years of imprisonment and a fine of 300,000 euros. Since the enactment of the law, the DGCCRF has already imposed sanctions on six influencers for engaging in misleading business practices. These infractions involve false advertising for sports betting advisory services, undisclosed partnerships, and the endorsement of hyaluronic acid injections. Influencers who incur in these infractions must also post a notice from the French authority on their Instagram account, stating, "DGCCRF agents have initiated an administrative injunction," with the post prominently featured in their profile for a month.

The recently passed law in France brings both advantages for consumers and challenges for influencers, who may bid farewell to the era of earning thousands of euros for a single post. However, it's essential to recognize that the majority of influencers are not engaging in fraudulent activities; many have alternate means of supporting themselves like very ordinary jobs. Some argue that certain provisions appear to overly regulate influencers, prompting questions about why celebrities showcasing specific designs on the red carpet, often for financial gain, aren't subject to similar regulations. Besides, the law raises broader questions about the lack of regulation for fashion houses and media regarding the disclosure of image manipulation. 

France introduces an interesting addition alongside this law - the Union of Influence Professions and Content Creators (UMICC) - a trade union at the moment guided by Carine Fernandez, founder of the agency Point d'Orgue, representing agencies in the sector that could serve as a model for other countries as well, particularly in safeguarding younger individuals aspiring to pursue careers in this field.

For those aspiring to become influencers in France, a word of caution: familiarize yourself with the laws and regulations, and consider legal studies to navigate potential challenges. However, a broader question looms: France has taken its initial steps to regulate a complex social media landscape, unlike Germany, Italy, Spain, or the United Kingdom which lack a specific formal law (Spain has general guidelines known as the Code of Conduct for the use of influencers, and Italy has specific guidelines from the Ministry of Health, but no sanctions against influencers). Will other countries follow suit? And what aspects of social media or Artificial Intelligence should be further regulated or restricted? We will debate these issues in further posts, so stay tuned.

Term Trends: "Delulu"? Probably the Solulu

As 2023 draws to a close, the customary reflection upon the year's most noteworthy words is due. For the Collins English Dictionary the word of the year is AI, Artificial Intelligence. Yet there is a term that is fascinating many of us, especially the Gen Z demographic, an intriguing term that has got a lovely musicality about it - "delulu" (pronounced "dih-loo-loo").

Despite its initial appearance as a whimsical yet seemingly vacuous term, "delulu" possesses a precise meaning derived from "delusional." Originating in the K-Pop fan community about a decade ago, it initially referred to fans with unrealistic aspirations of romantic involvement with their idols, investing an excessive amount of time and energy in these fantasies.

Since 2022, the term has transcended its origins and gained currency on platforms like TikTok and can be found printed on countless shirts available from a variety of retailers and sites, from Amazon to Etsy (bizarre how the "I Love Being Delulu" slogan hasn't been co-opted yet by more prominent brands or fashion houses... will it happen one day soon?). Now the term serves as slang for "delusional" in a broader sense. It characterizes individuals with unrealistic or overly idealistic beliefs and fantasies, extending beyond celebrity obsessions to encompass various facets of life.

While it originally carried a negative connotation, mocking those with impractical expectations, the term's usage has evolved. On TikTok, it is often employed lightheartedly or sarcastically, exemplified by the popular mantra, "Delulu is the solulu," where "solulu" denotes "solution". This phrase encourages adopting a positive perspective, leading to a level of unshakeable self-confidence that some might consider delusional, ultimately bringing success in one's endeavors.

In essence, embracing the "delulu" mindset implies disregarding external opinions, charting one's course, and adopting an optimistic outlook. It is seen as a crucial element for happiness, requiring a steadfast belief in the possibility and worthiness of one's aspirations.

While this approach may not resonate with cynical, somber adults (me included), younger generations find solace within the concept of being "delulu." Contrary to assumptions, being "delulu" does not necessarily equate to self-deception; it involves replacing negative beliefs with positive ones and rewriting the narratives often imposed by adults.

For young people, being "delulu" is a coping mechanism, a means of addressing insecurities, dispelling them, and navigating the challenges of life. Amidst a world that adults may perceive as challenging, these individuals find humor and joy in the term, something we're not offering to young people anymore.

My nephews' school, which isn't exactly the poshest and strictest private college on earth, but an ordinary grammar school in a town in the centre-south of Italy, thinks it is a "competitive environment forming tomorrow's leaders". I find it disturbing. In a post-Covid world in which conflicts are ruling supreme, these kids should be taught to socialize and love each other and not to compete in a useless rat race.

So, yes, let them be delulu. Let them make up a relationship with a star and let them think that the videos they are shooting will be watched by millions of people and spawn a trend (who says they won't?).

What? In your opinion this concept is superficial and childish? It is terribly unrealistic and hopelessly silly? Maybe, but who am I to tell them that an attempt at trying to be happy and putting up a humorous fight against insecurities and societal pressure is wrong? Nobody.

So, f*ck it, let them be blissfully delulu. If adopting this mindset allows them to pursue their dreams with enthusiasm, then so be it. I’ll be cheering for them and their "delulu is the solulu" mantra. 'Cos they deserve to be happy and fulfill their aspirations.

Actually, who knows, maybe next year among the most used 2024 words there will also be "delulu" together with "IJBOL" (I just burst out laughing) that recently substituted "LOL". Interestingly enough, the Collins English Dictionary shortlisted among the terms for word of the year 2023 also "canon event". This definition, taken from the animated film "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" and indicating an event that is essential to the formation of an individual's character or identity, gained popularity on social media platforms like TikTok, where it was transformed into a satirical but philosophical message of acceptance and personal growth. That teaches us embittered and boring adults to always pay attention to the emerging vocabulary on social platforms and to the voices of the young generations shaping them.

Will the Costume Institute's Spring 2024 Exhibition Prove That TikTok is the Sponsor to Go to in Case of Fashion Events?

As mentioned in the previous post, TikTok is the main sponsor of the Costume Institute's "Sleeping Beauties" exhibition that will take place next year at the Met Museum. The short-video hosting service, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, has become a significant partner for various major events over the last three years.

TikTok's sponsorship history includes notable events like the Men's Euro 2020 Summer Championships, Eurovision 2022, the Women's Six Nations, and the Women's Euro 2022 Summer Championships.

Examining the statistics, it's evident why the social media giant has become a significant asset in these events. As of November 2023, TikTok is accessible in more than 160 countries, boasts a user base exceeding 1.1 billion, and has got over 220 million downloads in the United States alone.

TikTok's user demographics also make it a valuable platform for event sponsors. With over 5 million businesses actively using TikTok in the U.S., and an estimated 80-100 million monthly active users, the platform is particularly popular among individuals aged 16-34, with the majority being females. This explains the platform's active support for women's events. Traditionally, major sponsors have taken center stage at men's games, but TikTok's presence at women's sporting events signified an effort to redirect attention towards women and address existing inequalities.

 

One of TikTok’s most significant partnerships is with UEFA, but the platform also sponsors other types of events as proved by the Eurovision contest and the sponsorship at the Costume Institute, that actually holds additional significance.

When TikTok sponsors an event, it secures exclusive coverage and content, including behind-the-scenes clips and special livestreams. TikTok's features, such as hashtagging, facilitate the growth of communities around specific events, enabling users to capture and share footage from live events, quickly generating more content for free.

In the case of the Costume Institute exhibition, TikTok's sponsorship could include a preview of the exhibition, a livestream of the Met Gala, or coverage of a celebrity preparing for the gala. This wouldn't only benefit TikTok but would also provide users with engaging content to comment on and promote in their own ways (through the hashtags #TikTokFashion, #LearnOnTikTok or #MetGalaStyle).

Choosing TikTok as a sponsor is therefore a strategic move for the museum and for Condé Nast as well (was it orchestrated in some ways by Anna Wintour?) since it potentially eliminates the need for traditional coverage, reducing the input of Condé Nast staff that usually (over)worked behind the scene to bring fashion fans entertaining social media content. TikTok's user-generated content could replace traditional commentary and analysis, marking a significant shift in how the Met Gala and the exhibition are covered.

So, in essence, securing TikTok as a sponsor for the exhibition is a noteworthy strategic move, leveraging the platform's popularity, demographic alignment, and user-generated content capabilities to enhance the event's coverage and engagement.

Yes this sponsorship also raises questions about two points, the first one regards the role of traditional fashion houses in supporting exhibitions. While prominent houses like Chanel, Fendi, and Gucci have sponsored such events in the past, the choice of TikTok as a sponsor prompts speculation about whether these fashion houses are no longer interested or are not being approached for sponsorship.

The second point is more political: for an American institution to embrace such a sponsorship may pose a conflict, given the history of attempts to ban TikTok in the U.S. The Trump administration in 2020 tried to block the application, while in March 2023, the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice initiated an investigation into TikTok, including allegations of spying on American journalists. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew defended the application before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in March this year, addressing concerns about consumer privacy, data security, mental health impact, and security issues related to ByteDance, the platform's parent company.

Concerns surrounding the application include misuse, addictiveness, misinformation, children's safety, and mental health implications, such as promoting eating disorders, tobacco use, or suicide. Data security and the potential selling of user data are ongoing worries, with a primary reason for the proposed ban being national security concerns, fearing potential leaks of U.S. user data to the Chinese government.

The U.S. has already banned TikTok on federal and public sector employees' phones and on state employees' phones in 32 of 50 states. Lawsuits against TikTok have been filed by several states, with Indiana and Arkansas (the latter sued TikTok, ByteDance and Facebook's parent company, Meta, over claims that the companies violate the Deceptive Trade Practices Act) being among the first.

Montana, the first state to pass legislation banning TikTok on personal devices (the bill will go into effect in January 2024), imposes fines on app stores hosting TikTok within state lines. TikTok users in Montana sued the state to overturn the ban, with TikTok financing the legal fees (opposition to the ban comes from various quarters, including TikTok, U.S. lawmakers, and TikTok users, claiming the law is unconstitutional and violates the First Amendment).

Currently, Afghanistan and India are the only countries with complete TikTok bans. Most countries, including Belgium, Canada, Norway and Taiwan, ban the app on government-issued devices, Defense Ministry staff devices (Denmark) and civil servants's mobiles (France). Some countries, like Indonesia and Pakistan, temporarily banned TikTok in the past due to explicit content.

Implementing a ban on TikTok presents significant challenges for many governments all over the world, including the potential alienation of young users, the impact on businesses reliant on the platform, and the necessity to substantiate claims of national security threats.

All eyes will therefore be on TikTok next year: the platform previously collaborated with the Met Museum for other Costume Institute's exhibitions such as "Camp: Notes on Fashion". Yet in that case the collaboration revolved more around global challenges for their users (#SaluteToClassics and #MetGalaStyle).

"Sleeping Beauties" is the first instance of TikTok sponsoring a formal fashion exhibition in an esteemed institution, a partnership that may create some friction with politicians (consider how US Congress representatives appeared in previous years at the MetGala – would it be proper for them to do it if the exhibition is sponsored by a company that has been the object of bipartisan scrutiny?).

Last but not least, while it signifies a mutually beneficial partnership for the Met, providing abundant free content generated by TikTok users worldwide, this sponsorship could pose a challenge not just for internal Condé Nast staff, but for global journalists and critics, potentially overshadowing their work amid the social media frenzy and coverage.

Beyond Sleep: Will The Costume Institute's "Sleeping Beauties" Truly Reawaken Dormant Fashion Designs or Will It Be a "Girlfriend in a Coma" Case?

Fashion fans rejoice: as you may have heard, the title of next year's Costume Institute exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art has been announced, it is "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" (May 10 - September 2, 2024).

Contrary to the fairytale-like title, the exhibition explores rare garments that, once acquired by the Costume Institute, become dormant treasures in its archives, unable to be worn again and often too fragile to be displayed as well.

Spanning 400 years of history, the exhibition will include around 250 items from the Costume Institute's permanent collection among the others many evening gowns, including the Elizabethan bodice and silk satin ballgown by the American couturier Charles Frederick Worth from 1877 (the show's original inspiration) and Christian Dior's iconic Venus and Junon designs.

Other pieces featured include designs by Elsa Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurent and Hubert de Givenchy. Contemporary fashion fans will instead be able to admire new acquisitions by Phillip Lim, Stella McCartney and Loewe (one of the sponsors of the event).

Nature will be the thread behind the exhibition that will develop around three main themes or zones - "Land", "Sea", and "Sky". This path will guide visitors to discover also some of the natural materials employed to create the designs on display (so there will be emphasis on sustainability and regenerative forms of production) and ponder more about the cyclical themes of rebirth and renewal.

In the galleries historical designs will be juxtaposed to contemporary fashions in an immersive environment engaging sight (Nick Knight, founder of SHOWstudio, is the creative consultant on the visual presentation of the exhibition), smell (the scents accompanying the objects are courtesy of smell researcher and artist Sissel Tolaas, known for her work at Balenciaga), touch, and hearing.

Some of the walls will be decorated with vegetal and insectoid embroidery inspired by an Elizabethan bodice; floors will be animated with snakes borrowed from the neckline of an early 20th-century sequined dress, while projection-mapped ceilings will feature Hitchcockian visuals of a swarm of black birds that call to mind the bird motif on a black tulle evening dress designed by Madeleine Vionnet just before the outbreak of World War II and a black bird print on an Alexander McQueen's jacket from the S/S 95 season.

Fragile "sleeping beauties" garments, unable to be displayed on mannequins, will be showcased in glass "coffins" for closer inspection, allowing visitors to analyze their various states of deterioration as if under a microscope. This could actually be the most interesting part of the exhibition that may prompt some visitors to develop a passion for forensic fashion studies. In addition, the press release also states that technologies including augmented reality, Artificial Intelligence, computer-generated imagery and x-rays, will be employed to bring back these masterpieces to life.

Other "sleeping beauties" will be revived through the illusion technique known as Pepper's ghost, originally relaunched by McQueen during his Autumn/Winter 2006 show "The Widows of Culloden" to materialise a ghost-like apparition of Kate Moss on the runway.

The exhibition is sponsored by TikTok (possibly to win the approval of millions of young TikTokers...) with further support by Loewe and Condé Nast.

So far, so good, however, it's disheartening to note the recurring struggle with exhibition titles at the Costume Institute reminiscent of past instances like "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination" and "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty" (that echoed another book and exhibition with similar titles).

While the title of the exhibition is not connected with women frozen in a magic spell awaiting a prince to wake them up, it will trigger another type of association for horror enthusiasts who may recall the title of Stephen King and Owen King's book. In their novel, "Sleeping Beauties," women become enveloped in a cocoon-like gauze when they enter a state of slumber. By disturbing or violating the gauze surrounding them, they transform into feral and violent beings. During their sleep, they enter an alternate realm - a utopian place where harmony prevails, and conflict is scarce.

As highlighted in that previous post, nobody stops you from titling an exhibition like a novel or a book already on the market, technically this is not a matter of copyright infringement, but it shows a surprising lack of imagination that you wouldn't expect from a major museum, a faux pas that may prove confusing for consumers especially while searching for information on it on the Internet or while buying a catalogue of that exhibition from online retailers. Sure, consumers are clever and can discern what they are buying, yet doing a more in-depth research about possible titles and searching for more unique alternatives is always possible.

Besides, while it is good to see the Costume Institute exploring more the contents of its archives, the theme of the exhibition is incredibly safe. Visitors can only hope that technologies will offer a new angle and perspective on these designs, yet it would have been even more intriguing to push things further, maybe looking also at the science and chemistry behind fashion. We have all learnt to make juxtapositions and establish connections between designers, and some of us are well-versed in spotting plagiarisms. We should now demand more from such exhibitions also on a scientific level and be able to discover more about the most technical aspects of a garment.  

So will "Sleeping Beauties" be a genuine reawakening of some hidden fashion treasures or will these items end up being like the proverbial "girlfriend in a coma", suspended between life and death? Time will tell, in the meantime you can shiver and shudder thinking at the dress code for the Met Gala: it hasn't been announced yet, but let's hope it is not sleep related to avoid seeing a new chapter in the long history of bed dresses and pillow frocks.

The Art of Slumber in a Fashion Creation & Interior Design Shoot from the '80s

Have you ever experienced sleep deprivation? I certainly have, for various reasons, and it has made me yearn for sleep more passionately and ardently than ever. Sleep is, after all, a blissful state, the starting point of everything.

Consider this: Alice's adventures in Wonderland begin after she falls asleep, and a vivid dream filled with fantastic creatures unfolds in her mind.

However, sleep also represents the eternal sleep of death, a topic we've explored in previous posts over the past few days. So let’s look at the theme with a fashion and interior design post that starts with Cinzia Ruggeri's bed dress.

Originally created in 1988, this unique design was showcased in an exhibition at Kaufhof department stores in Cologne, Germany, where Ruggeri also presented her tablecloth dress, bodysuit adorned with suction cups, Italy boots, and Sicily and Sardinia bags.

In an interview published in May 1988 on Casa Vogue, Ruggeri described her creation: "My bed-dress was made with real blankets, real sheets, and a real pillow. I liked the idea of taking outside, 'institutionalizing' and giving dignity to that feeling one has before getting up, the feeling of dragging the blankets and sheets with you, extending the atmosphere and sensations of sleep and dream when awake. My bed-dress is exactly this - being suspended in a state between not knowing if you are dreaming or not. If you are dreaming of dreaming or of being awake..."

Over the years, the bed dress and the creations it spawned led to various interpretations, eventually evolving into a pillow dress.

The May issue of Casa Vogue also included an extensive interior design photoshoot dedicated to bedrooms, styled by Cinzia Ruggeri and Alessandra Zighetti, that featured a surreal tale by Ruggeri herself in the style of Dino Buzzati, an author she admired.

The photoshoot was entitled "Fairytale Nights: Who Got into My Bed?" and recounted a surreal week in Ruggeri's life: each night, returning home from a party or a dinner with friends, like one of the bears in the Goldilocks tale, she would find her bed occupied by rather unusual entities.

These included two televisions, a vacuum cleaner and pasta machine engaged in an intimate encounter, and a toy dinosaur named Dino (a nod to Buzzati?) offering a peach blossom flower to his girlfriend Saura, embodied by the portrait of a woman with a plastic proboscis (a reference that anticipated Ruggeri's "La leggerezza del peso" (The Lightness of Weight), her 1989 installation inspired by a fictitious story about the last elephant on Earth).

"My week consists of eight days, and I'm often out in the evenings for pleasure," the story began. "On Tuesday, returning from a ball at the British Embassy, I slowly open the door, and the king, the queen, Humpty Dumpty, and Huysmans's turtle are playing golf on my bed."

"On Wednesday, returning from a visit to a Greek friend (how we laughed!), I find a big TV and a small TV under the covers. On Thursday, coming back from Fontainebleau, there's a grandmother dressed as a wolf in my bed (or maybe it's the other way around? I don't care)."

"On Friday - after a dinner with Alsatian friends - I find three little pigs who have made themselves comfortable. Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? The next evening, returning from Bologna, I stumble into my bedroom; the vacuum cleaner and the pasta machine are embracing amidst my sheets, and he, with his long arm, sucks up all the egg noodles. On Sunday, I return and find Professor Pi dozing, disheveled and tamed; sometimes counting sheep hurts."

"The day after Sunday, a visit to the Natural History Museum; when I return home, I can't believe my eyes: if it weren't for that loving expression... It's a sticky and humid dawn when I reach my room, and maybe that's why they get caught. Valve and Fuse turn red and offer no justifications. But I don't ask for explanations. I gently close the door and go to sleep at the hotel. And to think that you have to lie down to see the sky!"

The shoot featured classic ‘80s moods and shades: from the silvery textiles, the robots and TV screens that embodied the decade's fascination with early technological devices, to moments of excess verging towards the kitsch, represented by the toy-like interior design pieces (spot Robert Venturi's "Cuckoo Clock") in the shoot.

Besides, it also featured quite a few tropes and symbolisms that characterized Ruggeri’s unique vision, from pigs and eggs to the spine of the dinosaur projecting a shadow on the wall hinting at a staircase, an iconic motif in Ruggeri’s imaginarium (dear me, how much I miss these subtleties).

It's worth noting that today marks the anniversary of Cinzia Ruggeri's passing in 2019, which adds a layer of contemplation about life and death to this narrative.

Sleeping and resting, living and dying - ponder about these themes, while I long for sleep and imagine doing so in Ruggeri's dress.

Impiraressa, A Multi-Threaded Podcast: Episode Three - "Death-à-Porter: A Radiodrama”

The third episode of the Impiraressa Podcast is a radiodrama, a darkly humorous and satirical exploration of life, death, beauty, and transformation. Entitled "Death-à-Porter", this was originally a novella I wrote for a fashion competition organized by the Prada fashion house (it didn't win the main award, but it won an extremely heavy Prada book that I use as a press for small arts and crafts project, what else could I do with it?); the short story was republished independently last year, so some Irenebrination readers may remember it.

The story revolves around two aspiring makeup students, Francesca and Seb who are struggling with debts and land a job at a funeral parlor. Despite their worries, fears and prejudices about the job, they discover a newfound fascination with the art of thanato-aesthetic. Their work takes them on a unique and unconventional path, involving the deceased as their canvas.

As the protagonists become proficient in their work, they encounter a range of scenarios, but their lives take an unexpected turn when they decide to turn one of their jobs into their end of the year project and decide to submit it to competition. Selected among the finalists, they end up encountering a bizarre world, realizing the absurdity of the fashion industry and its fixation on appearances, superficiality, and empty promises, something they can not reconcile with the work they have been carrying out at the funeral parlor.

The story behind "Death-à-Porter" is also a metaphor to remind us all that, when the purposes of one's life shift, it doesn't signify the demise of one's dreams, but rather their evolution into something new.

Music for Episode Three:   

"Le ore della notte", "Dentro la nevrosi", "Ritmo sinistro", "Indagini al buio", "Sadica Notte", "Le ballerine", "Un treno vuoto", "Fumo e ombre": written Berto Pisano, performed by Nino Rosso e il suo Complesso, published by Kutmusic Italhouse Produzioni Musicali, released by Kutmusic, 2020.

"Disarmata Waltz 1", "Seduta spiritica", "Disarmata Sad Slow 1", "Disarmata Waltz 5", "Disarmata Waltz 4", "Disarmata Strong - Main Theme 2 (No Drums)", written and performed by Nicola C. Salerno, published by Kutmusic Italhouse Produzioni Musicali, released by Kutmusic, 2019-2020.

"Farid / Astronauts from Maghreb", written by N. Battista, A. Lioci, L. Meloni, P. Petraccia. and performed by Impro featuring Pino Petraccia, published by Kutmusic Italhouse Produzioni Musicali, recorded in 2002, originally released by Comfort Stand, 2003.

Impiraressa is brought to you by Irenebrination and Kutmusic. All the music featured in this episode is fully licensed through Kutmusic. Impiraressa is available on Podbean, Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Samsung Podcast, Podchaser and BoomPlay.