17 January - 14 March 2010
Fertility images have existed for centuries. There are figurines from the ancient world of women with large breasts, broad hips, and pronounced genitals, as well as male fertility sculptures, often in the shape of a phallus. Once, it was clear to everyone that sculptures of this kind symbolized the divinity of the creative force, fertility, and the gift of life. Worshipping these fertility symbols was not an act of obscenity, but a form of religion. But in the oversexed visual culture of the modern West, how differently we view these sculptures. All too often, people see little more in them than a coarse sexual reference.
Lingam
The lingam is a wooden or stone object in the shape of a phallus, which represents life and fertility. In Hindu and Buddhist cultures, the lingam is worshipped and revered. It is not only a fertility symbol, but also stands for a primeval creative force, a force that is strongly linked to sexual energy. In Southeast Asia, reverence for life and religion are closely linked. Lingam worship takes place frequently and in public places. In contrast, in the West, the lingam is seen mainly as a symbol of lust and sex. The exhibition Lingam. 122 contemporary fertility symbols aims to provide artistic alternatives to our present-day Western interpretation of the lingam and, in the process, to take a fresh look at this symbol’s original, sacred context.
Fertility
The exhibition curator, Ruudt Peters, is an artist and professor at the Ädellab at Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm, and this event marks his departure as a teacher there. His fascination with the lingam inspired him to ask artists and designers to create their own fertility symbols. These contributors explored the subject through the lens of their own experiences, each producing a personal artistic statement about fertility. To emphasize the original, sacred context of this type of object, the exhibition Lingam. 122 contemporary fertility symbols at MuseumCatharijneconvent will pair these modern-day fertility symbols with their historical predecessors.
Selected participating artists
Frederic Braham, Helen Britton, Iris Eichenberg, Nedda El-Asmar, Ruud-Jan Kokke, Daniel Kruger, Anders Lagombra, Suska Mackert, Ted Noten, Ruudt Peters, Zeger Reyer, Lucy Sarneel, Studio Makkink & Bey, Johanna Schweizer, Marcel Wanders, Christoph Zellweger.
• click here for the complete list of all the participating artists
• download here the pdf file of the folder
• click here to watch the introduction to the exhibition