MAN MADE MONSTERS is an expansive sculptural installation that captivates with its organic presence, transforming the Scope BLN space through a compelling spatial dialogue. The massive forms “explode” within the clean lines of the gallery and cinema rooms. Yet, this rupture feels softened by the alluring textures and materials used.
Alejandro Montero Bravo selects textiles—traditionally viewed as feminine—as the primary medium, amplifying them in bold, disruptive ways to challenge gendered conventions. These textiles intertwine with ceramics and create handmade forms that exude softness and fragility. Contrasting sharply with the textiles’ unapologetic expression of femininity.
This project probes how bold femininity and female sexuality are often villainized in pop culture and history, examining how aesthetics have been used to dictate who can be “feminine,” shaping self-expression while shaming those who defy gendered norms. Society often weaponizes aesthetics to portray marginalized groups as “monstrous.”
Montero Bravo’s work consistently reimagines femininity and gender through an aesthetic lens. Bravo suggests that understanding how aesthetics impact daily life enhances our perception. We can see how societal judgments shape both people and visual culture. The installation reflects on the “monstrous feminine.” This concept was developed by feminist theorists like Barbara Creed. The piece contextualizes to the fear of female power, often linked to the body and sexuality.
Exhibition: MAN MADE MONSTERS
Opening: Saturday, November 2 at 6:00 PM
Solo exhibition by Alejandro Montero Bravo
November 2 – November 29, 2024
Scope BLN
Lübecker Str. 43,
10559 Berlin
Website
Images: Courtesy by Alejandro Montero Bravo
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