Part 01, Masculinities
2020→2022
2020→2022
Since gender is often still mistakenly associated with sex, it is assumed that men must be "masculine" and women "feminine". Does this mean that men must only be "masculine" and women must always be "feminine"? And what about people who do not conform to these concepts? Is it possible that our binary notion of gender is not only a limitation for a minority but for most people in our society? And what does any of this have to do with equality anyway?
Modern Gender is an experimental research at the interface sociology and photography. Its first part Masculinities investigates
how photography can influence the masculine habitus while opening men a free space to experiment.
how photography can influence the masculine habitus while opening men a free space to experiment.
Over 1.5 years, together with my sister Janina Papenheim, who studies Gender & Diversity at the Rhein-Waal University, Kleve, a comprehensive concept was developed. It brings sociological gender theories into connection with each other, as well as putting them into practice with the medium of photography. The work examines from a subjective point of view how the individual habitus about gender identity interacts with society and how this can be reflected through photography. The goal of the project is to open up spaces for self-determination.
"Photographer Aline Pape searches for men and people assigned masculine at birth (amab) in different cities around Germany via online platforms to work with them in an attempt to answer her questions. She offers participants traditionally ‘feminine’ attributes such as clothes, jewelry, and nail polish, thereby opening up a free space in which people are allowed to experiment with their ‘feminine’ side in terms of their appearance. With this process she attempts to change the ‘gender expression’ of men to see how their ‘gender performance’ and therefore their ‘habitus’ transformed. Some wear such clothing for the first time."
– Janina Papenheim
– Janina Papenheim
In December 2022 a limited edition of 100 handmade exemplars of the book was published in collaboration with the publisher Gravur Verlag. In May 2023 the exhibition concept will be realized in Galerie M in Paris as well as presented on an exhibition tour through Germany with Gravur Verlag.
