Marble Ass contributes to photographic research on how masculinities are constructed in post-conflict societies. Taking shape in an installation, the project questions the existing archetypes in the former Yugoslavia, as well as revealing the role of territory in political transition and its effects on gender and identity construction. The fragmentation of the images allows forms to be remodelled, exposing how humans are shaped by their cultural environment, history, heritage, and intergenerational transmission; the collages simultaneously create a space of redefined narratives. The installation consists of four different typologies of images; a series of self-portraits, family archives, screen stills of popular media imagery, and collages of architecture. In their presentation, the components enter into dialogue with one another. Deconstructed frames that overlay images confront different ideas on masculinities, sexuality, and their construction in political transition. The project’s title refers to the very first ex-Yugoslavian movie casting queer roles and queer actors by the filmmaker Želimir Žilnik. The film offers insight into the life of sex workers in Belgrade that attempt to calm young men returning from the trauma of war. Just as the movie pays homage to queer characters, Marble Ass aims to open up a conversation on gender and sexuality, provoking a more liberal construct of self-expression.
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