Dana Rabea. Image Courtesy of Kilian-Davy Baujard.
Choosing out of 18 artists from UdK classes (Berlin University of Arts), Dana Rabea’s and Sina Link’s work attracted the attention of the judges with their unique view on societal issues. Recognition Award winner Sina Link’s screen printed works “I‘m Youssef, 6 months” and “I‘m Yasmine, 16“ touch on the portrayal of human suffering during the refugee crisis while raising the question of whether pain can ever truly be depicted. Both artworks only become visible by shining a flashlight on them, making it hard to look away while highlighting how this issue is hidden in the darkness.
Image Courtesy of Kilian-Davy Baujard.
Meanwhile, Dana’s project, titled “Notes IOU”, used mannequins as the subject to mimic human life along with our desire for affection. By capturing the coldness of the mannequins, the photographs introduce a new approach to the object while representing the ambivalences of human behavior.
SLEEK talked to Dana Rabea after the prize ceremony about her artworks, emotional creative process and her intention by using mannequins as her main subject.
Image Courtesy of Kilian-Davy Baujard.
SLEEK: Have mannequins always fascinated you?
Dana Rabea: Yes, they have aroused my interest for a while now, specifically their similarity to sculptures.
S: Why have you specifically chosen mannequins instead of other dolls to be featured in your art?
DR: Mannequins capture human desires so well, they are made to reinforce human emotions to encourage the buying of products. They promise a supposed satisfaction of desire, which can only be achieved by the tempting idea of consumption.
S: What emotional reaction to your artworks do you intend to evoke?
DR: My pictures reflect the desire for affection. I explore all definitions of affection including radical, sexual and consensual. At the same time, my photographs capture the feeling of fragility, not in a physical sense but regarding the emotional state, which also determines the interaction you have with other people.
Image Courtesy of Kilian-Davy Baujard.
S: In your photographs, mannequins are mimicking human behaviour. Does it also work the other way around?
DR: Mannequins and human behaviour are in close relation with one another for me. The artificial surface of mannequins and the binary gendered – but at the same time genderless models – are reminiscent of stereotypical human desires. At first glance, the viewer might think of the mannequins as real humans but later on, it is clear that the lifeless characters are made out of plastic, which feeds into the human craving for perfection and optimisation being projected on the mannequins.
S: Your photo series also reflects the wish for love and affection. Is there a lack of that in today’s world or in our generation?
DR: I don’t think that there isn’t enough love in our society but there definitely needs to be a new approach to the definition of affection. We often grow up with a generalised conception of love, reinforced by pictures and specific behaviour patterns. That is rarely challenged by depicting one’s own needs, desires and boundaries. For example, the subject of love is often only portrayed in romantic couple relationships and not in friendships. I think in the future we should all reflect on in which way we want to explore affection in our relationships and how to communicate our desires to others.