fe/male | Retrospective

The photo exhibition fe/male explored the borderlines between masculinity and femininity. The exhibition took place in public space in Vienna after there had been great objections on the part of the authorities. For example, large-format photographic works were planned for an exhibition in a Vienna subway station, the realization was made possible by the participation of Annie Leibovitz, Nan Goldin, Inez van Lamsweerde, Catherine Opie, Sophy Rickett and Jersey Heritage (for the works of Claude Cahun).
The responsible authorities repeatedly attempted to prevent their planned installation or to censor pictures with black bars - for example, on the argument that some posters were "misogynistic", for example, as in Sophie Rickett's series Pissing Women, women were shown in a position that was seen as reserved for men: urinating while standing. This indicates that behaviour or appearance that was regarded by women as not conforming to gender was perceived as an "insult (to the eye)" to be concealed rather than seen as an act of self-empowerment and a commitment to diversity and to the freedom of artistic and personal expression.
Only through the personal commitment of the management of the responsible advertising company could the entire exhibition finally be shown without censorship stripes. The media and the public took up the topic and the discourse on it enabled a broader awareness of these issues.