Brit Pavelson and Cloe Jancis: Self-Portrait as a Dancer and a Revolutionary

Exhibition Self-Portrait as a Dancer and a Revolutionary by Brit Pavelson and Cloe Jancis in Grenoble
1.04.2022

On 21 March, the duo show entitled Self-Portrait as a Dancer and a Revolutionary by Brit Pavelson and Cloe Jancis will open at the Galerie Showcase, Grenoble.

The exhibition playfully addresses topics such as women’s everyday roles and the spaces in which these roles are expressed. Together they offer metaphors, self-portraits and subtle jokes that are rooted in a woman’s point of view, using the outdated clichés to their advantage. What are the roles that permeate through the definition of a parent, a partner and an artist? How can we best cope with the emotional states that different roles make us feel? Which domestic practices are considered “feminine” and what is their social or artistic value?

The title of the exhibition refers to a false citation by the anarchist activist, feminist, writer and teacher Emma Goldman (1869–1940), which has achieved mythical status today: “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution.” The sentence refers to Goldman’s reaction when she was criticised for dancing joyfully at parties, arguing that agitators should not engage in such frivolous activities. Goldman’s quote is eloquent because many phenomena or common practices are still today called “feminine,” which aims to deem them of lower value. Following Goldman’s example, contemporary women’s rights activists should not choose between dancing and revolution, everyday joys and political activism, but they should instead find individual ways to intertwine these worlds, empower themselves and others, and shift values.

Curators: Brigit Arop and Sigrid Liira
Graphic design: Elisabeth Juusu
English editor: Gepard OÜ

The exhibition takes place in three cities during 2022, starting at the Galerie Showcase (Place aux Herbes, 38000) in Grenoble, France. In summer, the exhibition will arrive in Tallinn and Võru, Estonia.

The exhibition is open 24/7 and will remain open until 15 May. More information here.

Sponsors: Pildikompanii
Special thanks: Camille Laurelli, Laura Kuusk, Koit Randmäe