(UN)BEING

08.02.2025 - 09.03.2025

Dara Maillard, Loris Mauerhofer

Kunstverein Frauenfeld, Frauenfeld

I am thrilled to announce my participation in the upcoming duo exhibition titled (Un)Being, alongside Loris Mauerhofer. The show will take place at Kunstverein Frauenfeld from February 8 to March 9, 2025. The Kunstverein’s very large space (225 square meters, 7 rooms) will allow us to display a diverse range of artworks, from older pieces to new creations.

(Un)Being will thematically explore the various facets of the human body: physicality, gender, psychology, emotions, and their intersections with collective and personal histories and physical spaces. Through artistic dialogue, our works will be presented in both symbiosis and contrast.

We will begin by examining historical and contemporary depictions of the female body, a central subject in European art, endlessly portrayed, appropriated, and debated. In the 1970s, feminist artists challenged all boundaries and taboos surrounding its portrayal. So why depict the female body today, again; and most importantly how? I will explore its enduring significance in contemporary art, reflecting on female identities and addressing themes like physicality, sensuality, sexuality, pain, trauma, and healing. Drawing from personal and collective experiences, my work will seek to answer the question, "How does it feel to be in one’s body?"

Loris Mauerhofer, equally fascinated by the sensation of inhabiting a physical body, will extend this concept to occupying spaces as an extension of the body. In his works, he will treat space as if it were a body, viewing skin not as a boundary between one’s body and one’s environment, but as a connecting point. He will specifically focus on domestic spaces and the concept of home, highlighting the quest for balance and stability. Through sculptures, Loris will explore how our physical forms interact with and are influenced by the spaces we inhabit, reflecting our emotions. An ongoing meditation on self and the world will unfold. His intimate sculptures will offer personal contemplation rather than overt confrontation, inviting viewers to discover their own interpretations.

I will also explore themes related to family and self-portraiture. Drawing inspiration from four generations of women in my family and my Eastern European upbringing, I will create portraits exploring diverse and powerful female figures. These works will delve into the cultural and psychological dynamics shaping personal histories, exploring complex relationships, enduring love, inherited traumas, and conflicts. These figures—the grandmother, the mother, the sister, the daughter—will become archetypes of the psyche.

More information coming soon.