In 1981 I started to create covers from an aestetic point based on the principles of “preservation” or savekeeping in references to the cultural heritage, tradition and the world of housewife. Using a variety of different materials I create “protectors” rich with symbolism and associations. I invite the people to reflect on concepts of functionality and beauty. Thus the ordinary, forbidden or hidden from our sight, provokes a feeling of curiosity, through which the objects gain in value, eroticism and charm. Many objects are created with humor and irony, but if I am reflecting the big problems, there is no place for joy.
For example my covers for women between the dictates of mantling and disvestement, where the humor is rather fading away, exept in my funny performance on the subject (BURKAS-DANDYBOOKS ) and on my website.
I am using the same approach for war and violence: active protection to contain them! Look my pieces „Blind Obedience“ and “Soldier Straightjacket“. Now in this very dangerous situation in the Middle East I created the “Straightjacket No.2”.
In 1996 I began to create statues of old women. The first one is the “Wilmersdorfer Witwe” (Widow from a bourguois district of West-Berlin“). I was fascinated for the fashion favoured by women of a certain age who were fond of nylon raincoats with a leopardskin pattern: the animal fur pattern on slippery nylon and the expression of wildness on monoric old woman. Now, growing old too, I started my projekt to honour the old women who were very important in my life. In the meantime I manufactured five statues and they will become more of them. Two of them represent my work “Eternal Love”: A couple of women, sitting on a sofa. They are my grandmother Oma Ella (farm-owner) and her partner Charity Pitcairn.(teacher), who came as a refugee after the second world war in Oma Ellas home and they lived together until death. I presented them last in my performance “Living Statues” in Galerie Cell 63 Artplatform 2014.
In 2015 I presented my work “Wrap, Unwrap” also in Galerie Cell 63 Artplatform were I demonstrated my “Burka to Escape”. It is usefull for women, who like to escape from their place of oppressing: At daytime beeing covered inconspicuously running away, at night sleeping on a hidden place in the transformed burks to a burka-tent.
To my performance “Wrap, Unwrap.”
I am reflecting in my performance about the situation of women in eastern and western culture, in the “cage of cultural compulseries, between mantling and disvestment”, the hidden and the bared, about the dictates of beauty and fashion their efficient industries which restrict womens life. How we can defend ourselves?
I rember the promotion for a very expensive facial creme, named “Capture” to preserve the facial beauty. How ambiguos that name! You can save your money and use my textil mask instead. And I think, till there will not be a ban of burkas in your country you can use this mask without problems. I can recommend also my mantling for women, who feel themselves ugly in the morning without make up and who want to buy their breakfast without a sence of shame. Perhaps theese kinds of covers are also usefull if you need money from the bank without references…
My last work is the statue of Cayetana, La Duquesa de Alba, who died in 2014. She must have this monument! I adore her for her independance and how she created her last years of life in happiness. She ignored social conventions and married in the age of 84 years and after the survival of a serious illness a 20 years old younger bourgois.
Nina in July 2015.
