Exhibition confronts pornography through shame and otherness

An exhibition at Tartu Art House, an arts venue, explores pornography through themes of otherness, shame, discomfort and power, ERR reported in a review published by Sirp. The group show by the Multinektar art collective opened on July 31 and will run in the venue’s large second-floor hall until September 30.

The exhibition raises questions about the relationship between art and pornography, the meaning of pornography today, and how exposure to pornographic material shapes people’s understanding of sex. It also examines how to discuss power, powerlessness, shame and pride.

The exhibition text does not make clear whether the artists want the works to appear erotic or pornographic. The review notes, however, that the subject is justified. Social and political theory professor and feminist philosopher Amia Srinivasan has written in her book “The Right to Sex” that young people encounter pornographic material at an early age, shaping their understanding of sex. According to Srinivasan, girls’ understanding of sex is often influenced by boys who learned about it by watching pornography.

American radical feminist Andrea Dworkin argued in the 1980s that pornography inherently depicts and promotes men’s dominance over women, influencing views of women and contributing to their treatment as inferior in society. Discussions that tend towards conservatism often likewise emphasise that pornography objectifies feminine bodies.

Mr Markkus presents sexualisation and objectification in an extreme way in the multimedia work “Peep Show”. A computer desk in the exhibition space is covered with various objects, pictures and notes, alongside a computer with speakers. A sheet of A4 paper on the chair behind the desk reads “SIT HERE” in blue pen.

When the reviewer sits down, the screen shows their face in the style of a surveillance camera. Techno music, pornographic images and videos then start simultaneously, while sentences running across the screen suggest that the viewer likes watching different genres of pornography.

The work’s aggression highlights the force with which the genre enters the viewer’s body and consciousness. It is perhaps the only work in the exhibition with both a directly pornographic and artistic purpose. The work makes its aesthetic character apparent while also prompting feelings of arousal in response to some of the genres shown.

“Peep Show” does not pass judgment on objectification or say whether it is good or bad, humiliating or inspiring.

Kadri Kalve approaches pornography more gently but with a similarly open mind in her painting “My Dear in Tears”, which deals with supernatural beings. The painting depicts two creatures, one monstrous and the other human-looking. The monstrous figure has an erect penis and tears in its eyes, while the two figures are framed by a decorated arch. The depiction of tears is an intriguing element of the exhibition.