Małgorzata Bienias
Totentanz auf dem Maskenball
The exhibition consists of two series of photos. The first one, Totentanz, is an attempt to present a person who chooses to commit suicide. Her life appears to be normal. She carries on with her daily tasks: shower, dinner, a meeting with friends. However, the idea of her own death accompanies her all the time. Omnipresent death becomes a part of her everyday life.
The Maskenball series touches upon the issues of the feminine image forced upon us by culture, shaped by men and for men. This image is different from what a woman really looks like. Her genuine face is hidden under make-up which completely alters her look. What we see is a kind of a mask she puts on every day, playing out her role.
The photos also show how the change of context results in the change of interpretation of gestures. Some gestures, clearly erotic in one situation, may be perceived as incomprehensible or even silly in some other one.
Everything is conventional, and the truth lies beneath.
