18 maart – 15 april 2023
‘As The Veils Get Thinner’ is an exhibition in which Natalia Ossef explores how reality can be experienced as more transparent and lighter by creating connections between the physical, the mental and the spiritual. Ecofeminism and the notion of the feminine divine serve as key sources of inspiration here. As The Veils Get Thinner is presented at Bradwolff & Partners in Amsterdam, in collaboration with Marcelle Schots / Movement Exposed Gallery Space.
“People feed on the energy coming out of stone, the tiny particles of earth”, writes Malidoma P. Somé in the book The Healing Wisdom of Africa. For Ossef, symbolism and spirituality serve as points of connection to engage with the energy of natural elements and hidden objects within the earth. Her homeland in Syria, for instance, harbours a rich history that strongly appeals to the imagination. Buried within the landscape lie treasures of the earth, objects created by women, which have been banished from patriarchal society.
Healing, restoration and connection are central to the work of Natalia Ossef. By using her own body, the relationship between the body and nature emerges in various ways in her work. Both ecofeminism and the ‘divine feminine’ play a role here, as does Egyptian symbolism. By the ‘divine feminine’, Ossef refers to a spiritual concept that offers an alternative to the pedestal upon which men have been placed for centuries in societies and dominant religions.
The position and role of women in society is a constant theme in Ossef’s work. The shift from her initially visual work towards an intermedia practice encompassing photography, video, drawings, sculptures and installations also signified a repositioning of her own place within the themes she addresses. Performative expressions took on an important role in this context. She explores these and translates them in various ways, employing both sensory experiences and semiotics.
Inspired by artists and feminists from different generations, such as video artists Martha Rossler and Lili Dujourie, Natalia Ossef questions the traditional role of women and the female body as an object. Trinh T. Minh-ha is a key voice in postcolonial criticism. As is the ecofeminism of Maria Mies and Vandana Shiva. They argue that life in nature is sustained through cooperation, shared care and love.
Impression of the exhibition
