In Relation with Otherness: Conflation of Stereotypes and Their Subversion in Art
from the Middle East
Public talk by Azadeh Sarjoughian (Iran-UK)
Venue: FemLibrary Armenia
January 21, 2023
How does art become a means to apprehend, appropriate and make sense of the
‘Other’? Considering the prevalent anxiety about cultural stereotyping and (self-)
othering whenever there is a platform in the West for art from a specific geopolitical
region such as the Middle East, this public talk is a scrutiny of the impact of the
veiling/unveiling dichotomy on the discourse around the representation of Middle
Eastern men’s and women’s bodies in contemporary art.
I attempt to focus on moments of negotiations and in particular, the fusion of
subversive and stereotypical expressions within the practice of ‘representing difference’
in the mainstream Western art world. Offering a ‘local’ view on exotic (un)veiled bodies,
this paper challenges the critical literature that proposes the visual strategy of side-
stepping any familiar signifier of specific ethnicity as a response to the objectification of
artists with Middle Eastern heritage in the international art scene. This talk addresses
two exhibitions that were both held in London, including Unveiled: New Art from the
Middle East (2009) at the Saatchi Gallery and Masculinities: Liberation through
Photography (2020) at the Barbican Art Gallery. I trace the ambiguity and fluidity of
interpretations of the works in these exhibitions, formed through the interactions of
stereotypes and their subversions whether within the former show as an ethnocentric
survey practice that has been criticized as being part of the mechanisms of exoticization
or the latter with its inclusive geographical and gender curatorial framework. I extend
this argument by referring to Jasbir Puar’s analysis on the rise of homonormative
Islamophobia in the global North since 9/11 to demonstrate the reinforcement of the
binary of celebratory queer liberal subjects and deviant queer backward countries within
the curatorial approach of both exhibitions.
About Azadeh Sarjoughian
Azadeh Sarjoughian is a College of Arts and Law-funded PhD candidate at the
University of Birmingham where she also received her MRes in Sexuality and Gender
Studies. Her research interests include postcolonial theories, feminism, and
contemporary art. The representation of sexuality and gender identity in contemporary
Middle Eastern art is her focus. She is currently researching the interactions between
the stereotypical representation of Muslim men’s and women’s bodies in visual arts by
considering the impact of contemporary curatorial practices, particularly in the UK.
Azadeh is an artist, working with various media in sculpture and installation, graduated
in Illustration (MA) from the University of Art, Tehran, and Sculpture (BA) from the
University of Tehran, Iran.
Armenian text here.
Nonbinary
Public talk by masharu (Netherlands) and Maria Zakaryan (Armenia)
Venue: FemLibrary Armenia
August 11, 2023
Nonbinary gender is defined as the disassociation of one’s identity with a binary (male
and female) social construct of gender through a patriarchal lens. This gender type
could be expressed by being identified using different pronouns or feeling on a
spectrum that sits between woman and man, sometimes even leaning towards one
binary more than the other. However, some people can express a fluidity between the
two. Nonbinary is an important part of the history of gender politics and social identity,
where it revolts against and challenges ideas of gender normalities as well as physical
and emotional expressions.
There are many examples of nonbinary figures and experiences that resonate with
indigenous knowledge and people throughout history. Taking this into consideration, it is
important to question arguments that claim nonbinary identity is a result of the
contemporary condition. There is historical documentation of gender expression outside
of Western binary genders of man versus woman. This can be explored alongside many
claims that feminism has surfaced from exposure to contemporary media. By
interrogating practices of knowledge production, specifically on gender, and binary
classification of gender it is possible to move past patriarchal notions of codification in
which people outside of rigid binary expressions are objectified and often (partially)
erased.
Nonbinary is a term that was constructed as a way to identify outside of binaries of
(trans)man and (trans)woman; however, in doing so, it can solidify this binary into a
more rigid existence. Gender becomes an expression that must come from the
individual, instead of a category that is socially constructed. Additionally, the splitting of
sexuality and gender is not always the case in gender identity and expression. However,
in this piece, gender is the focus. Gender construction varies from culture, location, and
period, and often the nuances of genders cannot be expressed using the English
language. Even though using nonbinary as a term can be understood as an idealization
of rigid gender binaries, nonbinary is still a useful word as a starting point. It is a working
term that can be flexibly used to identify the variety and beauty of different ways of
expressing gender and its multiplicity. Although the term nonbinary is loaded and
controversial, a lot of people have found comfort and meaning within it.
We use the term nonbinary to discuss gender expressions in various cultures and to
give words to multiple ways of expressing gender. This has been a complicated decision
as the word nonbinary is a Western term, and thus does not encompass the way some
people, cultures, and places express gender. Thus we aim to limit the word nonbinary to
discussing gender as a whole and to refer to gender existing outside of patriarchal
notions of gender.
We explored this subject historically and in contemporary society. We used academic
references and research to sketch a picture of the scope of gender identities worldwide.
However, academic institutions have a history of colonization and are part of a larger
structure of power in which gender identities outside of the patriarchal binary
understanding of man and woman have often been seen as oddities to observe or even
erase.
About masharu
masharu (they-them) is a creative with a background in science. Their projects combine
scientific research with a personal approach and cultural practices. In 2011 masharu
obtained a PhD in Mathematical Image Analysis from Eindhoven University of
Technology and graduated with honors from Photo Academy Amsterdam. In 2013-2014
they were a resident at Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunst in Amsterdam. In 2018
masharu was an artist fellow at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the
Humanities and Social Sciences (NIAS-KNAW). masharu’s work has been exhibited,
screened and published in Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, Croatia, Cuba, Czech
Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Guatemala, Indonesia, Italy, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Suriname,
Sweden, Ukraine, the U.K., and U.S. in such venues and events as African Artists’
Foundation in Lagos, Spanish Cultural Centre in Guatemala City, World Design Event in
Eindhoven, ReadyTex Gallery in Paramaribo, 4th Jakarta Contemporary Ceramics
Biennale in Jakarta, European Ceramic Workcentre in Oisterwijk, Sustainica in
Dusseldorf, Holland Festival, Transnatural in Amsterdam, 6th Moscow Biennale of
Contemporary Arts in Moscow, and Museo Maritimo in Bilbao.
About Maria Zakaryan
Maria Zakaryan (they-them) is a photographer from Armenia. They studied Art Criticism
and Curatorial Studies at the Institute for Contemporary Art in Armenia and
documentary photography at the 4Plus independent documentary photography center,
also in Armenia.
As a visual artist with an interest in experimentation, their practice revolves around the
convergence of analog photography. The essence of their work lies in navigating the
intersections of identity, memories, connections, feminism, and the intricate relationship
between the political and the personal.
Armenian text here.