Sex Reenchanted Feminist Art Show Challenges Colonial Narratives
an Interview with Curator Mehveş Ungan
A current feminist group art show at the Heidelberger Kunstverein explores sexuality from a non-Western perspective and questions the colonial logic that the Western world often applies when appropriating feminist ideas. The exhibition “Sex Reenchanted” runs from June 22 to September 22, 2024, and presents works by eight international artists. It includes nearly 20 workshops, lectures and activities that aim to develop strategies to decolonise our bodies, transform our perspectives on sexuality and reflect on misogynistic stories from the Bible that influence our European worldview. The artists present pre-capitalist narratives and art forms that have disappeared. They invite visitors to rethink knowledge, especially gynaecology and medicine, and to engage in a feminist appropriation of historical practices, in line with the call of political philosopher and activist Silvia Federici for a re-enchantment of the world. CAPAS spoke with curator Mehveş Ungan about the conception of the exhibition.
What inspired the concept of the "Sex Reenchanted" exhibition? Why did you choose to explore the theme of sexuality in an artistic context, and how did the idea for the exhibition originate?
Mehveş Ungan: Through my internal and academic engagement with the concepts of emancipation and feminism, I realized that the Western world often imposes a colonial logic when it appropriates feminist ideas. This logic seeks to liberate women sexually from the constraints of their traditions, but this narrative doesn't necessarily align with or support the struggles and representations of all women. Women's rights are under threat globally, and creating a hierarchy that puts tradition-bound, oppressed Muslim women against the modern Western world poses a serious danger to intersectionality.
I wanted to curate an exhibition that brings together artistic perspectives that draw on their past to inspire discussions about sexuality. "Sex Reenchanted" is a decolonial feminist group show that explores sexuality from non-Western perspectives. The Western world often appropriates various struggles without acknowledging the specific conditions faced by racialized people. My goal is to offer a narrative that goes beyond the depiction of sexual identities in contemporary art. I chose artists who use elements inspired by their historical heritage, rather than their own bodies, to express these ideas.
What criteria did you use to decide which works and artists best convey the central message of the exhibition?
I'm not sure if the exhibition has a central message beyond employing a decolonial approach to challenge dominant narratives, such as the idea that Islam is inherently prudish. Since I aimed to critique Christian morality in contrast with the erased knowledge from the Ottoman era, I had to avoid extremely provocative works that might get reactionary repulses rather than foster discussions.
What role does the term "Reenchanted" play in the context of the exhibition?
We must defend love! We must advocate for strong bonds through sex. Today, as with everything in a liberal economy, sex has become a basic exchange within the boundaries of consent, with our bodies made constantly available and desirable. But are we really enjoying this? Through installations like CANAN’s Shahmaran and Dalila Dalleas Bouzar’s monumental embroidery of prehistoric drawings, the exhibition creates an atmosphere that prompts us to ask: Don’t we need spirituality in all these interactions? I don’t know—maybe not! The exhibition is inspired by the Silvia Federici’s call for a “Re-enchantement of the world”, in which she maps connections between previous forms of enclosure brought by capitalism and the destruction of the commons. She calls to appropriate historical practices and forms of knowledge in a feminist perspective. The exhibition tries to be in line with this call and to contribute by appropriating the history of Sex.
How has the audience responded to the exhibition, and what discussions has it sparked so far?
The exhibition is perceived very positively, and people really love it—not only young women who want more sex-positive shows but also a wider audience spanning different ages. One reason for this is that the exhibition is aesthetically beautiful, and its narratives are subtile. The idea that contemporary art has to be provocative and even irritating is specific to European culture as a legacy of modernity. I’m very happy to avoid provocation in these delicate subjects.
To what extent do you see the exhibition as a contribution to the current debate on sexuality and identity? What societal or political issues did you particularly want to highlight or comment on with this exhibition?
In Europe, you have to come out as a queer person and then fight for your rights and visibility. It is the mainstream way of becoming an activist! Right now, I’m reading Aruna D’Souza’s Imperfect Solidarities (I recommend it wholeheartedly), and it discusses whether the experiences of the oppressed must be translatable into the language of the dominant culture or if the colonial subject has the right to remain opaque. The author advocates for the right to opacity. There are two queer positions in the exhibition, expressed in very different visual forms, both articulating their desire, pleasure, and right to coexist without replicating Western expectations of sexual identity. Şafak Şule Kemancı’s ecosexual works create an erotic language with plants and flowers, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all existence.
And last, but not least: What connection do you see between the Apocalypse and the exhibition Sex Reenchanted?
There are different connections between apocalyptic narratives and the exhibition. For example, there is one apocalyptic aspect in the exhibition, embodied by the figure of Shahmaran, the half-woman, half-serpent king of snakes. She is a powerful figure with a rich mythological history, and some people still believe she exists. The story goes that if humans create unbearable chaos, she will command her snakes to emerge from the underground and take over the earth. And I’m just waiting for the snakes to come—I keep asking myself why they’re so late!
Mehveş Ungan works as a curator and public educator at the Heidelberger Kunstverein. She studied in Heidelberg and at the Free University of Berlin. She focuses on decolonial and eco-feminism, and the legacy of historical elements in contemporary art. Her first exhibition was Marwa Arsanios' 'Matter of Alliances' (co-curator with Søren Grammel). She organises various public events and teaches at the Pädagogische Hochschule Heidelberg.
