Workshop: The Act of Viewing with Sophia Stemshorn

You are invited to take part in an architectural workshop that explores the themes of safety, the gaze and sexuality in relation to space. The workshop, curated by Jelisaveta Rapaić, will be led by Sophia Stemshorn -the architect behind our current exhibition SOMETHING IS BURNING, will take place on the 26th of October between 18 and 20:30h at Kunsthalle Bratislava.

In the workshop, we will use several office chairs as a basic building block and explore the construction of various spatial narratives by manipulating their (dis)order, orientation, alignment and interaction with one another. Throughout the process we will touch upon relevant theories as well as their transition into the current exhibition. We will reflect on the creation of the much-needed safe space and its counterparts. A crime motivated by hate was committed in recent days, and this has brought the topics of safety, queerness and community into the public spotlight and made them more visible. This tragedy has left us speechless, but has increased the urgency of developing strategies of care and safety, as it reminds us of a grim reality. We therefore invite you to join forces with us and practice community and safety under the guise of an architecture workshop.

The group exhibition SOMETHING IS BURNING looks at aspects of identity construction in the context of economic and individual well-being. Tracing different realities and trajectories of representation over time, the exhibition aims to map different bodies – many of which have been subjected to processes of othering – and locates them in an intrinsically commodified space.

Workshop schedule:

18h The workshop will begin with a reading of the text “The Split Wall: Domestic Voyeurism” in Sexuality and Space, ed. Beatriz Colomina (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1992). It will be followed by a discussion around the topics of the difference between viewing and the gaze, the bodies comprising the architecture and queer spaces.

19h We will gather together around a table and brainstorm ways of manipulating objects in the space to create different narratives.

19:30h Our medium for this workshop will be chairs, which we will assemble and document their possible relations and spatial interventions, based on our collective conclusions.

Language: English
For anyone 15+ in need or curious.
**** Number of spots limited ****
Please express your interest / RSVP by writing an email with your name and contact number to jelisaveta.rapaic@kunsthallebratislava.sk with subject line “Workshop: Act of Viewing (your name)” by 13. 11. 2022