Salon #7 with Tatjana Almuli and Jente Posthuma

[Please note that this programme will be in Dutch]

To mark the conclusion of Julika Rudelius’s exhibition The Seamless Real, we are organising an afternoon of talks by writers Tatjana Almuli and Jente Posthuma.

Tatjana Almuli focusses on the social significance of beauty ideals and bodily self-discipline. Drawing on her recently published essay Tot lijf gemaakt (Reduced to a Body), she explores how our pursuit of the perfect body is intertwined with power, control, and autonomy. Why do beauty standards and the pressure to manage our appearance become even more compelling in times of uncertainty? This question resonates closely with Julika Rudelius’ exhibition, in which bodies appear as carefully constructed embodiments of strength and status. Both Almuli and Rudelius reveal that beauty and discipline are not neutral ideals, but systems that shape our actions and our sense of self.

Jente Posthuma writes with a sharp, ironic eye about power, identity and the stories people — women especially — are told about themselves. Her work repeatedly asks how external roles and expectations can either shape or undermine a person’s self-image. For this exhibition, Posthuma has written an essay in which she engages in dialogue with Rudelius’ visual language concerning power and surface. She will present the essay for the first time on this occasion.

Following the talks, there will be an opportunity for reflection and discussion.