Maria Elena Buszek is a critic, curator, and Associate Professor of Art History. Her work delves into the intersection of feminism, sexuality, and popular culture, examining how these elements shape visual art and its reception. Through critical analysis and curation, she explores how art reflects and constructs societal attitudes toward femininity and sexuality. Buszek offers deep insights into the dynamic interplay between artistic expression and its cultural context.
Exploring the vibrant world of Golden Age comics, this book shines a spotlight on the forgotten supergirls who captivated audiences during that era. Through stunning illustrations and engaging narratives, it uncovers their unique stories, powers, and cultural impact, celebrating the pioneering female characters who paved the way for future heroines. This nostalgic journey highlights their significance in comic history and the evolution of female representation in the genre.
Since the early 1960s, Dorothy Iannone (b. 1933, Boston; lives and works in Berlin) has explored the representation of ecstatic love—defined by her as “the union of gender, feeling and pleasure.” Her diverse oeuvre includes paintings, drawings, collages, video sculptures, objects, and publications, all infused with personal mythologies and experiences. In her late figurative paintings, which often blur into ornamental forms, she creates symbolic scenarios that celebrate a playful approach to her subjects. This visual self-empowerment has been interpreted as a contribution to the liberalization of female sexuality, though Iannone does not identify with any feminist movement. Her work, addressing controversial themes, reflects a personal understanding of self through its public presentation. This publication examines Iannone's art in the context of censorship, particularly her artist's book "The Story of Bern." In spring 1969, her works were confiscated during the "Freunde (Friends)" exhibition at Kunsthalle Bern, directed by Harald Szeemann. Iannone's response was to produce a book that articulated her perspective, reclaiming control over her work's content and form. Published in collaboration with Migros Museum for Contemporary Art, Zurich.
