INVIDEO catalogue " Shifting DistancesS" 2011

Sandra Lischi and Elena Marcheschi

 

page 50-51

 

With Wasp Waist the artist pays tribute to the women of an epoch, that of the late 19th Century, who wore tightly-laced corsets to make their waists unnaturalyy small. This ideal of feminine beauty was strenuously pursued from puberty: the women began the tight-lacing from childhood and willingly suffered the extreme discomfort inspite of the physical deformity it caused both to the skeleton and the internal organs.

The tiny waist created ideals of sadomasochism, sexualityand frailtyand even death.

And Yet these are the very women who, enduring the pain with incredible self-control, obtained the right to vote, to property, to education and even managed to perform public roles.

Seductive and imprisoned in their own cage og beauty, Magda Matwiejew's feminine figureswheel about amongst lace,mirrors, feathers and embroidered fabrics, while the poetry of Benoist celebrates their inner fragility and their longing for retribution and liberty.