Gendered Dilemmas: Three Performances by Şükran Moral

Abstract

Since the 1960s when the feminist art movement emerged, feminist artists have been focusing on social, historical and cultural issues through the use of the body to produce their own artistic language. In this context, the body emerges as a tool of expression in and of itself. But is it possible to overcome the problem of being objectified as a sexualized female body when that body is positioned at the same time as the subject of feminist art practice? When using certain cliches in the effort to produce a language that transcends traditional gender roles, can the artist fall into a dilemma? This article takes this questiona as feminist paradox and tackles the art world as a cultural arena where artist and women identities intertwine, through a discussion of some performances by Şükran Moral, a performance artist known for her radical performances since the 1990s.