Visitors to Spectrum on Tuesday, 6 October will have the opportunity to speak with the artists at a curatorial set to take place at 12pm.
A feminist photography exhibition curated by an award-winning Edith Cowan University (ECU) academic attracted a sell-out crowd to its opening night at ECU City.
Professor Panizza Allmark's exhibition, Photographie Féminine, opened at Spectrum (ECU City, room 12.707, level 7) on Thursday evening; set to run until Tuesday, 6 October, the exhibition is a collaboration between seven photographers whose respective works showcase different feminist perspectives.
What is photographie féminine?
More than two decades ago, Professor Allmark – a Professor of Visual and Cultural Studies at ECU - coined and developed the feminist visual theory of photographie féminine.
Drawing from the French feminist writing theory of écriture féminine, Professor Allmark's practice of photographie féminine is photography that challenges pervasive patriarchal narratives and creates a space for women's stories and perspectives that are marginalised – and at times completely erased – through other art forms.
Now, Professor Allmark has collaborated with six photographers – some of whom she mentored through their studies at ECU – to bring this exhibition to life: Christina Listanco Einmo, Jessica Eva, Eva Fernandez, Marziya Mohammedali, Talhy Stotzer and Toni Wilkinson.
The seven artists come from multicultural backgrounds; each possesses a different perspective on the concept of photographie féminine, and these perspectives are framed to be in dialogue with one another through Professor Allmark's curation of the exhibition.
"I'm incredibly humbled by the amazing talent and dedication of these artists," Professor Allmark said.
"They all have national and international recognition, so bringing them together created a visual dialogue among the photographers in showcasing empowering images of women not often seen in the public space."
"All of the photographers come from a migrant background, and five of the photographers have PhD's in photography. They've all utilised aspects of photographie féminine in the ethics of photography, engaging in empathy, connection, and subverting traditional viewpoints through creative approaches.
"Their photography speaks from a personal position; each of the works reflects something about their photographic background, but also their transnational and political background," she said.
"I feel it is important to showcase a range of different feminist voices. It is an honour to actually see the different interpretations of the theory, to see how empowered and engaged the photographers are in their political mission to acknowledge, reclaim and showcase the visibility of women from minority backgrounds."
An impactful exhibition set for a grand ending
Thursday's exhibition opening was attended by a sell-out crowd but those who missed out can visit Spectrum at ECU City from 10:00am to 4:00pm every weekday until the end of the exhibition on Tuesday, 6 October.
Visitors to Spectrum on the exhibition's final day will have the opportunity to speak with the artists at a curatorial set to take place at 12pm.
"The opening event was sold out, we had a record number of attendees," Professor Allmark said.
"There were comments that the exhibition is beautiful. The word beautiful is not often related to images of women's trauma, which they all have traces of. But it's beautiful in the sense that it makes you think. These are images of beautiful and powerful resilience. You see the dialogue, the collective feminism in the work," Professor Allmark said.
"It's seven voices, seven feminist approaches. There isn't just one way of documenting or storytelling, and what you find in this exhibition are creative, insightful, political, meaningful expressions of womanhood."
