Wound

When I was traveling in Morrocco, I was stunned by the absence of women in cafés, restaurants and even in the streets. Muslim women are not supposed to be seen in public. Certainly I had heard about that rule, but witnessing such an imbalance of freedom vs. only knowing about it is a whole different experience.  I realized that such rules reduce any human beings to their mere sexuality. It seems to me that in such cultures women are expected to be nothing more than warm, cozy, hospitable and generous vessels to hold and nurture their husbands and families. A beautiful, soft and comfortable space she is, but, where is her spirit? 

I have read stories about young girls who were sold as wives for men more than four times their age - sold off and then abused sexually to satisfy the desires of their owners. If I imagine myself in such a situation I realize that there is no other way to survive such a life situation than to completely leave one's own body and emotionally completely detach oneself from anything that's happening to one's body.

Imagining this is already almost unbearable!

After my return I created this wall sculpture. A leather cave soft inside in the shape of a woman's body. White like the wall which it's attached to, with all it's extensions melting into the background, she is almost invisible. Instead of a spine she features a long zipper reaching the whole span of her back. When the zipper is closed, she is barely visible. When the zipper is open, she can be entered or exited without defense, nor can she see who is coming or going. Inside, she is pink, warm and soft like a luxurious arm chair and when one reaches inside, one can hold on to two satisfying handles and suck on a mouth piece. 

When the back zipper is open, all one sees is a gigantic rosy vagina. She is the perfect provider of comfort and pleasure!