political pattern #2 gazing experiment
This project explores the intersection of the female body, fashion, and societal expectations through the lens of feminist theory. Her performance begins with the idea that, although we are born free and equal, the female body is swiftly entangled in laws and norms that dictate how it should appear and behave. From a young age, girls are subtly and overtly encouraged to be desirable to men, positioning fashion as a means of both empowerment and confinement. Fashion, as Yelena suggests, is simultaneously a miniskirt and a burqa—a dual force that can either liberate or suppress. This nuanced view of fashion echoes longstanding feminist critiques of beauty standards, in which clothing is not merely self-expression but a complex tool, molded by patriarchal patterns, yet potentially subverted by choice. In her performance, Yelena stands naked with her eyes closed in a public library, embodying the vulnerability and confrontation often imposed upon the female body in public spaces. Her presence challenges viewers to confront their own perceptions of the female form without the mediation of fashion. The library shelves are covered in pattern paper, forcing participants to tear through layers to access books on women’s issues, thereby symbolically breaking through societal impositions to engage with feminist thought. By allowing the audience to take these books home, Yelena offers them an opportunity to continue questioning and understanding the constructs governing the female experience. Her performance is thus a call to awareness and autonomy, highlighting the choices women face: to conform to or rebel against the patterns imposed on them.
