“The private is political.” This slogan, which marked the feminist demands of the 1960s, suggests that the architecture of private spaces and domestic territories must be placed back at the center of debates on the (re)production of gender and sexual inequalities. The home—the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room—all became sites of public interest, while the fight against HIV and AIDS highlighted how our sexualities, genders, and unequal access to care and support networks are shaped by and through architecture. Spaces such as the boudoir, the toilet, the hospital, the sauna, the club, and the mortuary, which briefly became public spaces, have gradually been reintegrated into the private sphere. Artistic practices and the cultural milieu have always reflected these societal debates, serving as platforms for reflection and visibility. We therefore pose the following question as a starting point for the curatorial program Public Affairs: how can we place domesticity, reproductive work, and gender and sexual inequalities at the center of public affairs?
The series of three exhibitions—Public Love, Public Care, and Public Dance—explores the ways in which space constructs gender, sexuality, and inequality, proposing three themes that each address different dimensions of political engagement, as well as feminist, queer, and trans* theory and history. Each of these themes is explored through a residency-exhibition, during which artists’ work will be exhibited, original and collective pieces produced, and meetings with experts and artists held.
The two first sessions welcomed Tony K. Colombe (artist, poet, sculptor), Akshar Gajjar (architect, researcher, artist), Loreleï Regamey (artist, writer), Dafni Retzepi (architect, researcher, SUJETS OBJETS, Architecture and Care ETHZ), Antoine Scalese (filmmaker), EDIT Collective, Ethel Baraona Pohl (DPR Barcelona, Architecture and Care ETHZ), and Friche Studio (architect and food artist).
With the support of FPLCE (Fondation pour la promotion de lieux pour la culture émergente), Loterie Romande, Pro Helvetia, Inarema, Fondation Plaza, Lundi Piscine. Photographs : © Valentine Blaimont, Graphic Design by FIGURES (Pauline Mayor et Loic Volkart).