GIRLPOWERTM, AND OTHER DECOYS – Counter-mapping the machinery of patriarchal capitalism
Feminism’s radical edge has been blunted – repackaged and sold back to us as girlboss, or tradwife aesthetics. Today, the idea of freedom of choice has replaced real political power. GIRLPOWERTM, AND OTHER DECOYS is a visual exploration of the machinery of patriarchal capitalism. Exposing the fact that it is not really about the choices, it is about who decides on the options.
This exploration takes the form of a map, designed with an road in an infinite loop, to expose how capitalism and patriarchy are deeply intertwined, and these structures aren’t just responsible for gender inequality but drive climate crisis, colonialism and warfare.v
Our “freedom of choice” is a script written by the systems that profit from us
The collage is more than an aesthetic choice; it is a nod back at its female history and a punky, rebellious tool to tear apart the polished images of the mainstream media. Working in a hybrid process, combining analogue paper cutting and digital manipulation, allowed me to maintain the punky feeling on a massive scale of almost 1×2 meters.
Historically, map-making is a tool of colonialism and ownership. By counter-mapping this landscape, I aim to reclaim the territory of womanhood from the systems that attempt to categorize and control it.
Suspended over the map are mirror silhouettes, tied with metal wires and chain to industrial cogs. These figures represent the ”performance” of modern womanhood. As viewers approach, the reflective surface forces a confrontation; you are not just an observer of this machinery, you are a part of it.
The mirror dolls force us to confront a difficult reality: we aren’t just observers of the machinery; we are moving parts within it.
This work does not offer a happy, simple solution. Instead, it creates an eternal loop of expectations and pressure. The goal is awareness. We can only begin to untangle ourselves from the system once we understand how it operates.
