Dec 19 2014
Two Bad Words: FEMEN & Feminism in Independent Ukraine
Todays reading was “Two Bad Words: FEMEN & Feminism in Independent Ukraine” by Jessica Zychowicz. The work, written by an american author, attempts to allies the woman rights group in Ukraine, FEMAN. This group as she points out preforms outrageous public displays, often atlas partially nude. One of their demonstrations can be seen below.
http://www.rtl.fr/actu/societe-faits-divers/des-femen-arborant-une-moustache-hitlerienne-manifestent-contre-le-fn-7771340633
As a personal reflection of the article I can sympathize with the authors viewpoint that FEMAN does not set up a cohesive feminist movement. The reason for this is quite simply that FEMAN takes some outrageous steps toward awareness. While many people view this type of behavior as obscene, it must be realized that people thought Oleg Kulik’s performance art as a dog was vulgar and useless. yet it has created a narrative through which change could progress. FEMAN is no different, they have created a new and active conversation about woman in Ukraine. In their view andy publicity is good publicity. Below are two images that compare FEMEN to Oleg Kulik
http://static0.demotix.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/a_scale_large/3300-8/photos/3389898.jpg
http://xz.gif.ru/images/doc/c1311-interpol10.jpg
From this I have learned that no matter the subject matter artists seeking attention for their cause will go to outrageous lengths. Some people will condemn their actions, but it will always promote talk and increased thinking on the subject at hand. This type of art is not wrong, but progressive and often does not sit well that are complacent in their lives.
More can be learned about FEMEN on their website:
www.femen.org