Letzte Änderung: 06-02-98
grelle.musik@kfunigraz.ac.at
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"There is no hierarchy in this exhibition. We are all creating a piece from the same inexpensive pine box and there is a real sense of us supporting one another. We are women artists of all ages, from all economic backgrounds and with varying degrees of professional reputation in the "art world." As this project has grown and the dialogue with other international artists has increased, through the fax and Internet, it is apparent that there is a vital stream which is flowing among us as the exhibition begins its epic voyage. Whatever happens on the way is the essence of WOMEN/Beyond Borders!" (Elena Mary Siff/co-founder)
"As contributing artist and team organizer of WOMEN/Beyond Borders, I learned to understand the world in a radically new way: one that is based in interaction and team work, versus the traditionally patriarchal view of individuality, competition and isolation. Woman is one and multiple at once; her strength resides in being so versatile to the extent that her individuality doesn't feel threatened by working in collaboration. This attitude is very valuable and very rare nowadays. Collaboration, exchange, dialogue are the elements that contribute to the impact of a show like this. Woman extends herself and becomes "female". Female exists beyond anatomical difference." (Maria Ve lasco)
"Most cultures have a tradition of working collectively, lending a hand. Native and pioneer Americans built kivas, raised barns, shared talk and talent in quilting, beading, or basket- making circles. It seems that the more self-sufficient we become, the lonelier the act of making things becomes as well. Today many women are seeking ways to meet informally or collaborate on group projects as a step toward undoing the isolation of solitary work." (Mary Heebner)
"The feminine perspective needs to be seriously looked at and rediscovered. WOMEN/ Beyond Borders has been created in a female way. It has been very successful and powerful in this regard. What has been accomplished in this project is a real model to me of how the feminine process works. One doesn't have to bulldoze people over in proce ss of moving forward. You can be nurturing, flexible, open, caring, non-judgmental - all of those wonderful female attributes which are very powerful in a every universal way. This would never been done without give-and-take, without collaboration." (Beverly Decker)
"A small box was given to me. I had to take a stand on what that box should mean. The more I worked on it, the more condensed the energy became. It came to mean a squared world of love and death in a 3 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 2" space. I felt it was like atomic energy, my life condensed. When my box took its place among all the other atomic reactions of love, despair, joy, fun and fear - all done by women, it was such a reaffirming commitment to living and being a women, that I felt the room explode with all the creative energy that was present." (Saritha Margon)
"WOMEN/Beyond Borders is a step in undoing the isolation and hopelessness of silence. It is not a panacea, a goal or a band-aid. It is simply a step. Next will be the visits between artists in various countries, the letters and the Internet communications . These are interpersonal communications which will be followed by more self exploration, expansion of presence, and confirmations of global and community importance. Although we are invited to witness these exchanges by viewing the various exhibitions, u nless we actively join the discussions, most will be invisible to us. Documentation will never fully reveal what this dialogue will mean to the participants. That is to be expected, and in no way diminishes what this gathering together will signify to the world. Because every revolution is people. Not crowds, or movements or armies, but individuals coming to a common understanding that they have power. That they can change the world. And it always begins with knowing who we are." (Suvan Geer, artist/writ er)
"WOMEN/Beyond Borders exhibition surpasses all of our expectations, high as they were! I am quite sure that the exhibition will be received enthusiastically everywhere it goes. It is sure to be one of our most popular shows. It is also one of our most mea ningful exhibitions.... WOMEN /Beyond Borders is such a timely endeavor as it brings together women's visions at the end of a century marked by women's struggles to find their places and their voices. It is also particularly important in that it cuts acro ss all borders - physical, political, religious, racial. W/BB has been transformed from a simple idea into a profound project that will engage and affect people as it makes its way around our world." (Nancy Doll, Director of the Santa Barbara Contemporar y Arts Forum, site of W/BB Premier Exhibition)
Lorraine Serena:LorART@aol.com