Exhibition to tackle tough South African issues
Jodi Bieber's effort into the issue of the male identity is presented in her solo exhibition, Quiet.
Challenging ideas of masculinity and stripping down the male identity to its core are some of the themes highlighted in the exhibition, Quiet.
The exhibition is a solo effort by renowned artist Jodi Bieber and addresses the ideas surrounding masculinity through a candid and intimate exploration of the fluidity of male identity.
The project, at the heart of it, aims to confront traditional representations of men and, through a series of photographs, strip men down to their underwear and explores what it means to be a man in South Africa.
“It is of interest to men, and to society in general, that the normality of violent masculinity be challenged in order to create space for men to see themselves in other ways,” said Bieber.
She added that although the series focuses on South African men, the subject had a universal appeal.
According to Lara Koseff of Goodman gallery, the project is of much significance in the country because of the topic it covers; that of violence against women.
“The reality of men as the main perpetrators of violent crime is the unspoken undercurrent that runs through Bieber’s Quiet series,” she added.
The portraits in Quiet embody masculine instability and fluid identity by challenging what Katz describes as “the tough guise that men feel they have to put on in order to survive”.
The series will also include a series of events such as panel discussions, school tours and artist walkabouts all aimed at encouraging conversation on the issue of violence and masculinity in the country.
The exhibition will take place at Goodman gallery from 3-26 April and coincides with another exhibition which will take place at the Wits Art Museum in April 2014.
Bieber has been a photographer for more than 20 years and has won eight World Press Photo awards, making her the second South African photographer to win the highest honour in the contest.
Other events in the series:
Dialogue: masculinity, power, equality and justice
Goodman gallery, Johannesburg
12 April 2014 at 11am
Dialogue: the performance of masculinity in art and the media
Goodman gallery, Johannesburg
24 April 2014 at 6pm
