tutu torso written by Pola van den Hövel
The Body as Sender. The Skin as Gateway or Veil Between Worlds. tutto torso presents new works by artists Wera Bet, Katrin Fuchsloch, Eva Noeske, and Cora Wöllenstein, who explore the skin, the shell, the body, and anthropomorphism in different ways. In an abstract translation, the works in the exhibition deal with the external and internal life of the body, aspects of how the artists relate to it as an identity figure, and body modification as a way to escape being human.

The exhibition space becomes the shell in which the artists' works are placed in context. The theme of the body is explored in various ways, touching on vulnerability, the body as a source of emotions and ideas, and fluid understandings of different sexual identities.

The representation of the body has a long and complex history in art. The artists in this exhibition also grapple with questions of sexuality, self-determination, gender, and power. The divergent interpretations and layers of meaning are evident in their works. Drawing on personal memories, art historical foundations, and questions of societal ascription, the artists explore their relationship to embodiment. Their media range from sculptural works, large-format drawings, to collages.

Cora Wöllenstein describes the process of creating her works as an engagement with her experiences of the external world. She finds solace in developing her works. Wera Bet also has an emotional connection to her works. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear what drives the artist and the political dimensions she incorporates into her work: how can we break the prevailing social and political order in which, despite the neoliberal illusion of democratic freedom, we are becoming less and less our own unique and special bodies? Katrin Fuchsloch also plays with the second look. Different (meaning) levels and materials are layered on top of each other. She plays within her works with the audience's perception, with the feeling of closeness and distance. The interplay of architecture, overlap, and textiles allows for many associations. The compositions of Eva Noeske create a work that unites inside and outside: there are traces of the living, the associative, of societal expectations and power dynamics.

Through the four artistic positions, it becomes clear how closely the representation of the body is tied to art and society. And the question remains: how do we (as a society) carry the body?