Coronation Of Vagina 2017

Editor: So, this installation is titled "Coronation of Vagina" by Kaloust Guedel, from 2017. It's mixed-media, creating a kind of vibrant, almost chaotic, environment. What really strikes me is the contrast between the flat, almost childish shapes and the transparent plastic sheeting, it's visually stimulating! What’s your take? Curator: What fascinates me is how Guedel utilizes such commonplace materials to construct a space that references the body and, implicitly, labour. Think about the plastic sheeting, the colorful swathes, are these discarded factory remnants? The arrangement feels both deliberate and accidental, which I find quite powerful. What do you make of the installation's use of found or inexpensive materials? Editor: I hadn't really considered that angle – the materials being almost by-products of another process. I guess the 'cheapness' challenges the conventional idea of valuable art materials and places emphasis on artistic labour! Curator: Precisely! By employing everyday materials, Guedel subverts the traditional hierarchy between fine art and craft. It makes us consider who typically works with these types of materials. Is it about elevating the work associated with women and low-wage earners? How do these associations influence your perception of the installation’s meaning, given its title? Editor: That makes the title, "Coronation of Vagina," even more impactful. If these are indeed materials associated with marginalized labour, the title elevates those often unseen and undervalued contributions. Almost like, it claims the right of that sector, the artistic legitimacy! Curator: Indeed! And that brings up ideas of production versus artistic "creation," something to take away, don't you think? Editor: Definitely! I see the work as a socio-political statement on labor and valuation, now, as much as an aesthetic experience. Curator: And how Guedel has us examine process as much as product makes for interesting art indeed.