Naked female bodies in the public space
For the fifth edition of Public Figure, Aline Bouvy was asked to create a new work. Bouvy surveyed the historical Antwerp Public Art Collection and explored the different ways in which bodies are depicted in public space. Typically, the human body is presented proudly, strongly or seductively on a pedestal. But, Bouvy figured, being on public display with your body can also evoke shame or discomfort. This bronze sculpture is the result of the artist’s inquiry into the naked female body’s functioning in the public sphere.
Servant, clown or enemy depicts the artist’s own body, reproduced through a 3D body scan and subsequently cast in bronze. The grotesque pose stands in stark contrast to the charming poses of traditional female statues. Although Bouvy is following an old tradition of dressing statues, here she is in fact emphasizing the nakedness of the figure, more than concealing it. The garment has been designed by Adam Halleux.
With the title Servant, clown or enemy, Aline Bouvy refers to the different roles artists are given or assume in relation to the public. The figure on the pedestal refuses to fulfill these roles – or rather fulfills all three at once. Thus, a playful interpretation of public representation emerges, freed from dominant norms or ideologies of appropriate ‘feminine’ behavior.
About the artist
In her work, multidisciplinary artist Aline Bouvy questions the social systems that regulate our desires. Sometimes crass, often playful, always uncompromising. Bouvy names and denounces the influence that institutions, authority figures and other dominant normative forces have on the image we have of ourselves (and the other). The human body, sexuality and (perceived) transgressive behavior play an important role in this regard.
Aline Bouvy (°1974) lives and works in Brussels. Following her studies at the ERG (École de Recherche Graphique) in Brussels and the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht, she has participated in numerous residencies and (solo) exhibitions at Kunstraum, London (2015); Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin (2019); Kunsthal Gent (2021); Kunsthal Mechelen (2024); Friche la Belle de Mai, Marseille (2024); and the Biennale de l'image possible, Liege (2024), among others.
