Objects of Desire: Curating and Archiving Sex Work with Rori Dior – Culturally Curious Ep.9

In this episode Nanette Ashby is joined by Rori Dior, a Berlin-based sex worker, anthropologist, activist, and co-founder of the archive Objects Of Desire. We discuss the ins and outs of creating and maintaining an archive such as Objects of Desire and the importance of institutional collaboration.

Reclaiming the Maternal Body: Challenging the expectations and representation of pregnancy in Cindy Sherman’s self-portrait Untitled #205 (1989)

by Nanette Ashby

In the realm of contemporary art, few figures stand at the intersection of identity, culture, and photography as prominently as Cindy Sherman. Born in New Jersey in 1954, Sherman has carved a niche for herself through her pioneering photographic self-portraits. Her body of work challenges and deconstructs cultural norms and expectations, particularly those surrounding gender, celebrity, and the very medium she employs – photography itself.

Shunga – Potentially feminist pornography of the Edo period of Japan

By Nanette Ashby
Every fourth search request entered into Google is linked to pornographic content and makes up a third of all internet traffic. Every month, Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined receive fewer visitors than pornographic websites (Lust). Evidently, just like sex is fundamental for the human experience, so is pornography a part of everyday life. Regardless of the medium or time period, pornography functions as a transmitter of societal ideas and values.

Mädchen in Uniform: A Masterful Portrayal of Female Solidarity against Oppression

by Airin Farahmand
If you ask a film enthusiast about the most prominent interwar German movies, you will most likely get a German expressionist movie as an answer. After all, in most scholarly books, German cinema is often remembered by Fritz Lang’s iconic movies such as The Metropolis, Nosferatu, and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

Letter to Moldova

by Stela Malega
I write to you, Moldova, to initiate an imperative conversation we must have, collectively and individually, moving forward with the harvest of the presidential elections from 2024. Our grape-shaped country, which has ironically been crushed and pressed throughout history, is at a pivotal crossroads.

Relaties in alle soorten en maten: polyamorie volgens Sarai

door Mylene van der Scheer
In dit tweeluik duik ik diep in de boeiende wereld van polyamorie. Samen gaan we op ontdekkingsreis om te begrijpen wat polyamorie precies inhoudt, hoe polyamoreuze relaties eruit kunnen zien, en welke uitdagingen polyamoreuze individuen in het dagelijks leven tegenkomen. Waar veel artikelen over polyamorie vaak gericht zijn op onderwerpen als seks en jaloezie, wil ik in deze serie juist de schitterende diversiteit en unieke facetten van polyamorie in de ‘spotlight’ zetten.

Buitenspel in een veld voor mannen

door Stefan de Baar
Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams en onze eigen Nederlandse Lieke Martens: vrouwelijke topsporters zijn anno 2024 iets alledaags. Sport wordt,wanneer dit uitkomt, als verenigend middel gebruikt, ook wel sportswashing genoemd. Het fenomeen sportswashing hebben we de afgelopen jaren vaker gezien in de voetbalwereld.

The fragile ghost of disability: Jannick Deslauriers’ recreation of the wheelchair as fibre art

by Nanette Ashby
On an August day in 2022, I walked through the doors of the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, stepping into the modern entrance hall filled with eager visitors. After a morning exploring the city, I could feel the symptoms of my chronic illness flaring up which made standing in line increasingly painful. This was my first trip since my diagnosis two years ago and I was still coming to terms with the new limitations of my body.

Pioneering Women claiming Power in Art Museums across Europe with Laia Anguix Vilches – Culturally Curious Ep.8

In this episode, Nanette Ashby is joined by Dr Laia Anguix Vilches. She is a postdoctoral researcher at Radboud University. Between art history and gender studies, her research revolves around the first women in positions of power and influence in art museums across Europe. Together, we discuss the ins and outs of this project, the importance of historical contexts, political environments, and the advancement of women’s rights.

Queer Joy as a Pedagogical Tool in the “Heartstopper” TV-series

by Jonathan Veenhuijsen

In times of growing intolerance regarding LGBTQ+ individuals, positive forms of media put queer hearts at ease by employing queer representation. A recent example of this is TV-series Heartstopper, based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novels.