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In this room you are presented with an overview of León Ferrari’s prolific, self-taught, artistic life. Throughout his life he maintained his experimental spirit. He was Interested in the abstract possibilities of different media.
Ferrari was extremely critical of the structures of power and the violence they often tolerated and even encouraged. As such, he was overtly critical of the Roman Catholic Church.
One of Ferrari’s main criticisms of the Church was its threats of eternal punishment for those who are different. He was fascinated by the detailed depictions of torture created by the Western masters, like Hieronymus Bosch.
In this series Ferrari used dark humour to expose the absurdity of a faith that uses violent threats as a way to win believers. You will find plaster saints in a blender or a Virgin in a toaster.
The works here show Ferrari’s lifelong commitment to human rights and how he denounced the abuse of power structures against humanity.
This is the last exhibition room of León Ferrari. It features works about Eve’s original sin and the Last Judgement – the two judicial acts that frame the timeline of Western history.
Gülsün Karamustafa is one of the most important Turkish artists of her generation. Her work reflects her feminism and commitment to democracy using the history of images and hinting at the way the past shapes the present.
The two timelines shown here trace the life stories of León Ferrari and Gülsün Karamustafa. They illustrate how their experiences have influenced their artistic development.
The artworks in this room talk about the magic of a complex city with three names – Byzantium, Constantinople and Istanbul. They address the pain of loss and the excitement of constant change that make it a site of multiple struggles.
Here we meet Karamustafa’s overflowing cabinet as a cosmopolitan religious altar. Around the walls, Christian, animal and popular culture images are woven into a series of tapestries.
The works in this room explore feminism as a reaction to the restrictions imposed on women and how they work to liberate themselves.
The installation Etiquette is referring to a French book that was translated into Arabic and published in the early days of the Republic of Turkey. It shows appropriate behaviour for women in western Europe in the early 20th century and encourages Turkish people to educate themselves in western forms of behaviour.
Around the walls other models of how to be a woman look down on the neatly laid table.
This movie shows older Turkish film stars as they break down and cry. Does their sorrow at the unjust position of women in society cause them to cry or are they threatened by the liberating changes happening around them?
Curious for more? The exhibition can be visited in Eindhoven until March 13, 2022. Buy your ticket now and the exhibition guide with a 50% discount.
Welcome to the double exhibition of León Ferrari (Buenos Aires, 1920-2013) and Gülsün Karamustafa (Ankara, 1946). Let them take you on a journey through their art and life.