"Female artists have a lot to do!" | Artist Miriam Cahn | Louisiana Channel

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“I’m an artist! I do what artists do!” Meet Swiss artist Miriam Cahn whose unique and intimate paintings and drawings depict women flashing genitals in burkas, white supremacy pornography and everything in between.
“Female artists have a lot to do. Because art history is mostly done by men,” says Miriam Cahn. Although she has no problem with art done by men, she noticed that women often lie passively in works done by men: “Females are to be erotic,” she says and continues: “It’s a tradition in art history. So we have a lot to do. Because we have to rewrite the art history.”
To do this, Cahn often paints the nude female body in action: punching, flashing, fucking. Most importantly, her subjects look directly at the viewer more often than not: “Is it still erotic if the women look back?” In installing her work, she ensures that the subjects of her paintings are in the eye line of the beholder: “If somebody looks at you from the painting, it is stronger.”
“Women are not less aggressive than men.” For Miriam Cahn, this is important to emphasize, and indeed you feel the aggression in a lot of her artwork: “You have to show white supremacy pornography,” she states and elaborates: “It’s very aggressive, but you have to show these things in art.”
Miriam Cahn (b. 1949) is a Swiss artist who lives and works in Stampa, Switzerland. She is known for her intimate and haunting paintings and drawings of figures, animals, and landscapes. Her recent solo shows include a solo exhibiton at Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Denmark (2020), Sifang Art Museum, Nanjing (2020, Haus der Kunst, Munich (2019), Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid (2019); Kunsthaus Bregenz (2019); Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw (2019); and Kunstmuseum Bern (2019). She has participated in numerous group exhibitions at various venues internationally, including the 21st Biennale of Sydney (2018); Documenta 14, Kassel and Athens (2017); São Paulo Museum of Art (2017); and Centre Pompidou, Paris (2016).
Miriam Cahn was interviewed by Roxanne Bagheshirin Lærkesen in August 2021 at her home and studio in Stampa, Switzerland.
Camera: Rasmus Quistgaard
Produced and edited by Roxanne Bagheshirin Lærkesen
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2021
Louisiana Channel is supported by Den A.P. Møllerske Støttefond, Ny Carlsbergfondet and C.L. Davids Fond og Samling.
#MiriamCahn #FeministArt #ContemporaryArt
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[@ethan-loves]

What a phenomenal interview and collection of art. Thank you for sharing it with us!

[@deborahtucker4900]

Extremely SAD commentary when PORNOGRAPHY is passed off as ART. Her exhibit in Paris museum Palau’s de Tokyo featured paintings and/or prints of children being sexually abused… Please explain or help me understand how child being depicted in sexual activity in any form of media is artistic?

[@KM-zn3lx]

Yep! And the grossest part of a woman or man are portrayed as if that is the whole person. She's even done child pornography art which has been destroyed by someone with morals!

[@ritazita1111]

Please activate the CC feature for those of us who have hearing issues.

[@SuperHumpbackwhale]

Thank you! She deserves way more attention. It was a thrilling experience to see her work in flesh in Warsaw, almost two years ago. Grand peinture :)

[@josephuia]

She gets a lot of attention

[@KM-zn3lx]

Hmmm! Brilliant?

[@onyx2266]

😵Sérieux !!!! .... Mais qui va acheter ça ????

[@vrijheid-ui8bc]

Ped*philes

[@yoursisesthermeya]

President macron

[@naturaconditio7024]

Cette dame doit aller se faire soigner, il y a de très bons instituts en Suisse et elle a largement les moyens de se les payer pour finir sa vie en paix, et par la même occasion foutre la paix aux autres !

[@juliemartin934]

Il va y avoir un mini déferlement de français après la vidéo de Karl. Et de l'autre taré d'alex lebre... qui reprend tout et n'importe quoi... Je respecte totalement le combat de Karl Zéro. Tout son véritable travail d'investigation. Mais du coup là on fait quoi ??? Je vous pose la question on fait quoi : on interdit toute forme d'art qui dénonce. Qui dérange.... Car c'est bien de cela qu'il s'agit ici. C'est évident qu'il n'y a aucune apologies. Que c'est bien évidemment pour déranger. Voire dénoncer. Alors on fait quoi? On devient tous des ultracenseurs en France, en mode ultra inquisiteurs ? Ne nous trompons pas de combat sérieusement...

[@naturaconditio7024]

@@juliemartin934 Quel combat ? Il y a d'autres moyens que d'exposer un enfant qui fait une fellation les mains attachées pour dénoncer la pédophilie. C'est du voyeurisme malsain, un coup de pub pour faire le buzz et faire parler de soi. Je ne vois rien d'autre ici que de la provocation malsaine. Cela ne dénonce rien, cela montre au monde la perversité de l'art "moderne" qui ne sait rien faire d'autre que de la provocation. Aucune réflexion, aucun imaginaire, aucune beauté. Si l'art n'est qu'un vecteur de dégout, autant qu'il reste dans les tréfonds perturbés des crânes dénués d'humanité. Il y a dans ce monde bien des atrocités qui n'ont besoin d'être montrées et vues que par des bourgeois confortablement installés dans une vie pépère et sans encombres. Vous feriez une telle exposition en Afghanistan ?, en Iran ? au Yemen ?... Un peu de compassion pour les vicitmes ne ferai pas de mal à cette désaxée. Le fait de vouloir mettre à la poubelle ce genre "d'art" n'a rien à voir avec de la censure. Quand je rencontre une merde de chien sur le trottoir, il ne me viens pas à l'idée de l'exposer au grand public sous prétexte qu'il faut sauver la SPA. Ce genre de personne n'est que le reflet du nihilisme morbide de notre société occidentale en manque de sensations fortes. Comme dirait Audiard, cette femme ose tout, et cela ne fait pas pour autant d'elle une artiste...

[@juliemartin934]

@@naturaconditio7024 Je comprends tout à fait votre dégoût. Sincèrement : je le comprends. Face à cette toile en particulier, c'est évident l'on ressent de l'écoeurement, à moins d'être vraiment malade (vous aurez compris l'euphémisme). Mais suite à ce tôlé, j'ai voulu creuser un minimum. Sans parler de pondre une thèse sur cette artiste, je n'aurai jamais cette prétention, j'ai voulu creuser un chouya, car si cela avait été de la promotion de la pédophilie, c'est gravissime. Ici, vous l'aurez compris, ça ne l'est pas. On le comprend quand l'on voit l'ensemble de ses tableaux. Ça dérange. Ça écoeure. Voire ça dénonce je ne me prononce pas pour cette artiste, mais nul besoin d'avoir une licence en histoire de l'art pour comprendre qu'il n'y a par contre aucune apologie. Il y a cette toile (horrible c'est vrai) dans cet ensemble, il y a aussi des femmes voilées, un poing qui s'enfonce dans de la chair ... L'on ressent tous l'oppression. La domination exercée qui fait mal. Qui cherche à détruire... Vous disiez qu'exposer ces toiles dans des pays comme l'Afghanistan, l'Iran serait comme impensables... Et bien pour ma part, je pense qu'une femme qui vivrait là-bas, et qui subit l'oppression et la violence au quotidien ressentirait mieux que personne ce que l'artiste a voulu exprimer, dans cet ensemble de toiles. Encore une fois : ce n'est que mon ressenti. Je n'ai pas la prétention de détenir aucune vérité. Mais là : c'est ce que je ressens. Une volonté d'extériorisation. Si j'avais la possibilité d'aller voir cette toile, cette ensemble de toiles : je n'irai pas. Je n'aime pas. Mais il y a une chose aussi dont je suis sûre : nul ne peut imaginer la difficulté que c'est pour un être d'extérioriser ce qu'il abhorre.

[@aynapaisley]

Thank you for featuring female artists! They deserve to be on the big art scene like men. I love her work 😍

[@Ozblu3y]

very nice.

[@AuraCraft]

10:49 no questions about these paintings!? this type of 'art' is what everyone demands answers about! unprofessional why does she make art that shows child abuse!?

[@aquelpibe]

I like her thinking, I like her work.

[@bellezavudd]

RAW imagery. Interesting woman. Would enjoy a day talking with her and seeing her work.

[@marijanagutierrez6970]

Very liberated bravo Miriam

[@johanvanhuyssteen9217]

Love her honesty! Thanks for sharing:)

[@naturaconditio7024]

Rarement vu des "oeuvres" qui dévalorisent autant la femme. Elle aurait beaucoup plu aux fascistes...

[@focuspokus9995]

Entartete Kunst

[@DEWwords]

The veil is bad news for women wherever it shows up in history back to Babylon, I believe. Interesting stuff.

[@constancewalsh3646]

New to your channel, I am in bliss ! This artist, Miriam Cahn, is stupendous, a discovery of profound proportions for me. What courage and wisdom in action. It is dangerous, brings shivers of fear, the very idea of being so boldly truthful. But also inspiring. thank you!

[@thelouisianachannel]

Glad you like the video and our channel!

[@huntingvega3876]

Wow

[@seberry1]

Perfect!

[@margorowe9052]

🤩💟💟💛made my day...she is spot on🥰💛💟

[@lihicohen2792]

YES! She is such a queen, love her

[@Kruku666]

interesting

[@paltakaa]

Amazing! She's brilliant!

[@kirsten7072]

Very interresting, thank you

[@SuperLogan78]

This was so good! 🥰 👏🏻🥰💗🙏🏼💗

[@Tily0507]

Hi. What is the music?

[@thelouisianachannel]

Hassel by Serge Corteyn and KARMA SERVICE by Manuel Loos.

[@Tily0507]

@@thelouisianachannel Thank you.

[@kylemepps]

Do your thing. Be an artist!!!

[@nathalieleperron9809]

Sous titres ?

[@gitbuh12345qwerty]

She's way better at painting than Courbet. Like, way way.

[@xoyelisha]

SICK SICK

[@lu_re7198]

First she talks about bad it is that male artists often cover or eliminate the woman’s face in their paintings...Then she contradicts herself by saying it’s racist to want a woman’s face to be uncovered against the wishes of (or laws dictated by) men. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@jkickass]

she's an artist, not a logician

[@jbri1]

Ever heard of nuance? We are all walking contradictions

[@joestanford1080]

She never says it's bad that male artists eliminate the woman's face - she literally praises Courbet at 1:21 - she just says that she wondered what effect it would have if she did similar paintings with the woman looking back - purely logical and not contradictory. Neither does she say it's racist to want a woman's face to be uncovered - 3:48 - she does say that it's racist and sexist to create laws denying the wearing of burkas but not dictating the religious clothing worn by men. There is no lack of logic, no contradiction here - simply an inability of yours to comprehend a very clearly expressed idea - try rewatching and checking your understanding before posting stupid comments.

[@lu_re7198]

@joe stanford. You missed her point. Women looking back are no longer the anonymous objectified subjects of old masters paintings. Then when she calls it “racist” to ask a woman to uncover her face, she attempts to include both the imperative political statement and link to a current event, by making a contradictory analogy.

[@dragonskinavi]

Agree, completely! Politics and Art make strange bedfellows indeed! Personally, I think both shouldn't be mixed...a 'work of art' should be viewed or judged on its artistic merit first, and the secondary or derived meanings only after that, imo. That is why Marlene Dumas will always be one of my favourite women artists...no divisive ideologies or vengefulness behind her work!

[@Threedivasgrandma]

She's right

[@CAVEDATA]

Quick summary- making it disgusting and violent. Beauty is oppressive.

[@DEWwords]

@1 1 , that 11 stands for 11 varieties of personal attack, right? Can't fault your logic, cause there is none. 😆

[@mikkenieminen9603]

this is no art. even I can paint better, bujt of course this is promoted. Ludicrous!

[@olivierbolton8683]

i guess you will take it as a compliment if i tell you this work is so fuglydendata it makes me want to retch

[@prabhdeepsingh5642]

I sometimes doubt whether this notion that "women are strait-jacketed and suppressed because of men's objectification of them imposed upon them" is valid anymore in this modern world.

[@deliacadman]

It's not men's objectification of women that's the problem, it's the lack of female voices which counter the male narrative, and reaffirm women's experiences as distinct and important in their own right

[@prabhdeepsingh5642]

@@deliacadman Well, that's a fair argument. I agree.

[@selecttravelvacations7472]

Take a look at movies, advertising for products, etc and re evaluate. Britney Murphy was told she was huggable but not Fu#Kabyle for film parts, she killed herself trying to become the latter. It’s still continues every day in Hollywood.

[@prabhdeepsingh5642]

@@selecttravelvacations7472 Same is the case with men being objectified. Every on sceeen model has six pack abs nowadays. Chiselled jawline, sharp hairstyle, toned body, good height, wide shoulders, and then to have a James Bond like charisma is often the benchmark for actors in the leading roles, in Hollywood and almost everywhere in the advertisement industry.

[@emanuel_soundtrack]

i am tired of forced representativity. By the way i rarely see a skilled and driven woman composer, the thing i see more are women who do music to prove that women do it, how stupid . If you are good at this and woman all men find it awesome, what a bs. For visuals arts there are already awesome female artists , no one stop them. And they can still open a only fans, be a whore, and no one stope them; Fuck this

[@cliffdariff74]

Shock value

[@aaimba]

Amazing works! I'm surprised of her opinion on black and white relations in society. A topic that needs more space in arts and society in general.

[@gysgijsbers4202]

I disagree with her assessment on the topic.

[@KM-zn3lx]

Yeah so there's even more division that didn't exist before these elitist snobs got on the scene!

[@beckywebb1916]

The style of work is not my cup of tea.

[@huntingvega3876]

Ok