Power(less) words is an illustrated diptych, created for the exhibition "I am mine" of feminine collective Golden Clouds. The exhibition was presented from March 8 to May 4 2021 in Wroclaw Castle Culture Center (Poland). For this occasion I created two illustrative boards:
One contains texts heard by Polish women in doctor's offices, hospitals, clinics. Quotes were collected from other women or have been heard by me, during several years of diagnostics. We have a lot of good specialists around, doctors who are truly involved in their work. On the other hand – in many places and situations where we expect help or support, we often hear words that shouldn't be spoken. We also experience things that deprive us of our sense of dignity or security. And they often stay with us for a long time.
The second board contains comments that women (unfortunately) often make to other women. Words of false support, sentences supporting one group at the expense of another, evaluating and undermining a person's qualities or choices. With saying them, we follow – often unconsciously – patriarchy patterns. These sentences are like pillows with hidden pins: superficially soft, yet they sting and hurt. The statements that I used on this board were overheard by me in my surroundings and collected among the comments on the Web.
With my work, I want to draw attention to this and give the floor to women who have struggled with it. And to remind that we want and need more real empathy and sensitivity – for us, people of all ages and experiences.
Stop here for a moment and look in this mirror longer ↑
Photos: Katarzyna Roman, Agnieszka Jamroszczak and me
