The Girl with Open Legs
‘Fav sitting with open legs’
Curating and shooting a series of photographs of Fav and Leo was my first visual response when iniciating a visual discussion as a reaction to academic research about the institutionalization of rape as a tool to monitor women’s sexuality. I am interested in how from an early age, in various cultures, women learn to fear the institution of rape.I am also intrigued about the possibilities to deconstruct the political aspect of the sexual violation, being it ‘a mechanism for maintaining (..) control through the treat of physical violence, should women express their sexuality’, and being such deconstruction the starting point for women empowerment through education.(Adams, A. , Brown, B. , Cowie, E. (eds) (1981) M/F a feminist journal : Sexuality. nos 5&6 , London)
‘The girl with open legs’ This work challenges the institution of rape and gender roles, by discussing ‘My Mom’s rules’. Girls do not sit with open legs unless they are giving birth. Challenging the way women navigate different social environments and dismantle the already set regulations regarding their behavior is at the core of this work.
