SISMALENA
“Painting for the male gaze”

Performance
2h
[2024]

Painting for the Male Gaze explores the visual politics of the male gaze regime in the context of painting. 
In collaboration with Zülal Zafer, model and content creator on OnlyFans, Sismalena stages a performative photo shoot in which the structures of male desire intersect with the medium of painting.
During the live performance, many male viewers explicitly expressed During the live performance, many male viewers explicitly expressed the desire to see an image featuring a butt or breast print 
This repeated desire for images not only reflects the longing for physical traces and possession, but also picks up on a trend in social media in which women present such prints as "sweet gifts for my boyfriend“ or ”a creative way to decorate your home",
which are somewhere between a romantic gesture and a sexualized DIY aesthetic.
 Comments such as “Everything you do is art” or "The image could never be as beautiful as you" reinforced this tension. 
The image was constantly compared to the artist's body, blurring the boundaries between artistic creation and erotic projection.
The canvas was cast in silicone and became flesh. Amidst self-expression, market desire, and strategies of reproduction, the central question arises:
 Who owns the gaze and who shapes the image?
“Painting for the male gaze”

Performance
2h
[2024]

Painting for the Male Gaze explores the visual politics of the male gaze regime in the context of painting. 
In collaboration with Zülal Zafer, model and content creator on OnlyFans, Sismalena stages a performative photo shoot in which the structures of male desire intersect with the medium of painting.
During the live performance, many male viewers explicitly expressed During the live performance, many male viewers explicitly expressed the desire to see an image featuring a butt or breast print 
This repeated desire for images not only reflects the longing for physical traces and possession, but also picks up on a trend in social media in which women present such prints as "sweet gifts for my boyfriend“ or ”a creative way to decorate your home",
which are somewhere between a romantic gesture and a sexualized DIY aesthetic.
 Comments such as “Everything you do is art” or "The image could never be as beautiful as you" reinforced this tension. 
The image was constantly compared to the artist's body, blurring the boundaries between artistic creation and erotic projection.
The canvas was cast in silicone and became flesh. Amidst self-expression, market desire, and strategies of reproduction, the central question arises:
 Who owns the gaze and who shapes the image?
“Painting for the male gaze”

Performance
2h
[2024]

Painting for the Male Gaze explores the visual politics of the male gaze regime in the context of painting. 
In collaboration with Zülal Zafer, model and content creator on OnlyFans, Sismalena stages a performative photo shoot in which the structures of male desire intersect with the medium of painting.
During the live performance, many male viewers explicitly expressed During the live performance, many male viewers explicitly expressed the desire to see an image featuring a butt or breast print 
This repeated desire for images not only reflects the longing for physical traces and possession, but also picks up on a trend in social media in which women present such prints as "sweet gifts for my boyfriend“ or ”a creative way to decorate your home",
which are somewhere between a romantic gesture and a sexualized DIY aesthetic.
 Comments such as “Everything you do is art” or "The image could never be as beautiful as you" reinforced this tension. 
The image was constantly compared to the artist's body, blurring the boundaries between artistic creation and erotic projection.
The canvas was cast in silicone and became flesh. Amidst self-expression, market desire, and strategies of reproduction, the central question arises:
 Who owns the gaze and who shapes the image?
“Painting for the male gaze”

Performance
2h
[2024]

Painting for the Male Gaze explores the visual politics of the male gaze regime in the context of painting. 
In collaboration with Zülal Zafer, model and content creator on OnlyFans, Sismalena stages a performative photo shoot in which the structures of male desire intersect with the medium of painting.
During the live performance, many male viewers explicitly expressed During the live performance, many male viewers explicitly expressed the desire to see an image featuring a butt or breast print 
This repeated desire for images not only reflects the longing for physical traces and possession, but also picks up on a trend in social media in which women present such prints as "sweet gifts for my boyfriend“ or ”a creative way to decorate your home",
which are somewhere between a romantic gesture and a sexualized DIY aesthetic.
 Comments such as “Everything you do is art” or "The image could never be as beautiful as you" reinforced this tension. 
The image was constantly compared to the artist's body, blurring the boundaries between artistic creation and erotic projection.
The canvas was cast in silicone and became flesh. Amidst self-expression, market desire, and strategies of reproduction, the central question arises:
 Who owns the gaze and who shapes the image?