Barbara Bachmann and Franziska Gilli. Being a Woman in Italy
25.3.2021, 9:00 PM
Lab27 is pleased to announce the seventh installment of INCONTRI DI FOTOGRAFIA, which will take place on March 25 at 9:00 PM, streamed live on Lab27’s YouTube channel.
Joining us will be journalist Barbara Bachmann and photographer Franziska Gilli to introduce their research project “Santa o Sgualdrina”, recently published by Edition Raetia.
In almost no other European country does the idea of femininity remain as rigid as it does in Italy. It is a concept full of contradictions: a mother is revered as an icon, yet a woman is murdered every three days, usually by her partner. This idea is also heavily influenced by the Catholic Church and reinforced by sexist media representations on television. Consequently, there are two primary models of female identification: the “whore” and the “saint.” Franziska Gilli and Barbara Bachmann explored various female representations in a country where they themselves learned what it means to be a woman. Organized into seven chapters inspired by the seven deadly sins and their opposites, the book portrays lust and discipline, sloth and zeal, wrath and love through both images and text.
"Our journalistic work often led us—independently of one another—to reflect on the representation of women in Italy. This inspired the idea of delving deeper into the topic and dedicating a book to it. The volume stems from a desire to give women a voice and increase their visibility. Curiosity was the driving force that led us to investigate Italy, our diverse and multifaceted country. As life and experience have taught us, the image of women in Italian society is rigid and stereotyped, more so than in most other European countries. Gender relations are permeated by unquestioned certainties, and too many dogmas—partly rooted in fascist culture—continue to shape Italian society, consciously or unconsciously. Even a century later, women still face enormous social pressures. In many areas, little significant progress has been made. It is therefore not surprising that the #MeToo movement never truly gained traction in Italy; the country did not seem ready for such a debate. Patriarchal structures, on the contrary, appear to have strengthened further."
"Our book moves between past and present, reflecting both the joy and sorrow, strength and vulnerability, courage and resignation of the women whose voices it amplifies. Text and images are intertwined: sometimes we work side by side, other times separately, exploring two extremes that are opposite yet connected—the saint and the whore. These two female figures, central to the Catholic faith, have profoundly shaped Italian culture over the past two millennia. This dichotomy, long criticized by feminist thought, remains relevant today. Against this backdrop, we present a series of images drawn from reality. Women are the protagonists of our book: young and elderly, illiterate and university professors, from all regions of the country. Some were born women; others identify as such. We highlight areas of vulnerability while also emphasizing solidarity. As far as possible, we aim to overcome the suspicion and fear that the term 'feminism' still provokes, to stimulate reflection and debate, and to foster dialogue between women and men."
Barbara Bachmann and Franziska Gilli. Being a Woman in Italy
25.3.2021, 9:00 PM
Lab27 is pleased to announce the seventh installment of INCONTRI DI FOTOGRAFIA, which will take place on March 25 at 9:00 PM, streamed live on Lab27’s YouTube channel.
Joining us will be journalist Barbara Bachmann and photographer Franziska Gilli to introduce their research project “Santa o Sgualdrina”, recently published by Edition Raetia.
In almost no other European country does the idea of femininity remain as rigid as it does in Italy. It is a concept full of contradictions: a mother is revered as an icon, yet a woman is murdered every three days, usually by her partner. This idea is also heavily influenced by the Catholic Church and reinforced by sexist media representations on television. Consequently, there are two primary models of female identification: the “whore” and the “saint.” Franziska Gilli and Barbara Bachmann explored various female representations in a country where they themselves learned what it means to be a woman. Organized into seven chapters inspired by the seven deadly sins and their opposites, the book portrays lust and discipline, sloth and zeal, wrath and love through both images and text.
"Our journalistic work often led us—independently of one another—to reflect on the representation of women in Italy. This inspired the idea of delving deeper into the topic and dedicating a book to it. The volume stems from a desire to give women a voice and increase their visibility. Curiosity was the driving force that led us to investigate Italy, our diverse and multifaceted country. As life and experience have taught us, the image of women in Italian society is rigid and stereotyped, more so than in most other European countries. Gender relations are permeated by unquestioned certainties, and too many dogmas—partly rooted in fascist culture—continue to shape Italian society, consciously or unconsciously. Even a century later, women still face enormous social pressures. In many areas, little significant progress has been made. It is therefore not surprising that the #MeToo movement never truly gained traction in Italy; the country did not seem ready for such a debate. Patriarchal structures, on the contrary, appear to have strengthened further."
"Our book moves between past and present, reflecting both the joy and sorrow, strength and vulnerability, courage and resignation of the women whose voices it amplifies. Text and images are intertwined: sometimes we work side by side, other times separately, exploring two extremes that are opposite yet connected—the saint and the whore. These two female figures, central to the Catholic faith, have profoundly shaped Italian culture over the past two millennia. This dichotomy, long criticized by feminist thought, remains relevant today. Against this backdrop, we present a series of images drawn from reality. Women are the protagonists of our book: young and elderly, illiterate and university professors, from all regions of the country. Some were born women; others identify as such. We highlight areas of vulnerability while also emphasizing solidarity. As far as possible, we aim to overcome the suspicion and fear that the term 'feminism' still provokes, to stimulate reflection and debate, and to foster dialogue between women and men."
