Masculinity is An Exceptional Condition
Photography Exhibition Project
The roles we take, the jobs we do, our posture, our words are due to the gender roles which have been constructed and developed for ages. Instead of us ourselves, these roles usually decide where we should (!) stand, what we should (!) wear, when we should (!) talk or be quiet, how we react to events or things. If we think and call into question, we generally become unhappy because of these decisions – that can be also called as social sanctions. As everybody has different nature and humor, what kind of norms and principles can take the behaviors and sensations of the whole humanity in!?
According to this determination, we, the young have been working through gender studies for several years. Our purpose is mentioning that women, who are mostly affected negatively and become the disadvantageous group, are there in the society and have rights. These roles put the pressure not only on women but also on men. The lifestyle which forces men to be macho and masculine makes them brutal, strict, and prone to violence.
"Masculinity is an exceptional condition" was a very challenging and stimulating discourse in the beginning. We did not have any difficulty to find this concept. One day, I saw my landlord, an old man on the balcony while hanging clothes. The man who was meeting with his friends and discussing about the nations affairs in the estaminets every day, bringing home the bread, a symbolic character of patriarch on streets and at home, was hanging clothes on the balcony. Washing the clothes, hanging them, cooking, staying at home was not men’s routine (!). But ı knew that my landlord’s wife was an ill and old woman. So, was an exceptional condition necessary every time to do these kind of works and share life? Actually, men were giving up their masculinity in exceptional occasions and doing the works that have not been done, saying the things that have not been said. So, masculinity was an exceptional condition.
The aims of the exhibition are:
· To raise consciousness about the roles coming to surface with gender concept and to gain awareness about it.
· To reach equality between genders and prevent discrimination against genders.
· To help gender mainstreaming
· To collaborate with civil society organizations that carry out women studies in local areas.
· To raise respect for women’s individual rights and freedoms.
· To pay attention to the unequal roles of women and men in daily life.
How do the people attend and contribute?
People load photos appropriate for the concept. These photos are chosen from the database of the site and in the 8th of March, they are exhibited simultaneously. It is so easy to attend to the exhibition. Taking a photo related to the issue and sending it to the website is enough. But the visuals sent needs to mention about daily routine works, occupations, clothes, looking, gestures, accessories and word which are thought to belong to women, not to men. The place is everywhere, because we think that the violence against women, oppression, and discrimination is in every place: the campus, the streets, galleries, youth centers etc.
What we did?
In between 2009 and 2022 it was in 42 different cities and 256 different exhibition areas. At the same time http://www.erkeklikistisnaibirdurumdur.com website were used for online exhibition. It spread worldwide, Bengi BAŞARAN wrote “Is Masculinity Really an Exceptional Condition in Turkey?” and she attended Gendering East/West Conference in New York.
In 2011, we exhibited 70 times in 40 different cities and 5 international exhibitions in Italy, Poland, Romania, France, Greece.
In 2012, we were in Bilkent University and Metrocity Mall.
In 2014 United Nations Population Fund Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office awarded us as a good pratice.
Contact us; [email protected]
According to this determination, we, the young have been working through gender studies for several years. Our purpose is mentioning that women, who are mostly affected negatively and become the disadvantageous group, are there in the society and have rights. These roles put the pressure not only on women but also on men. The lifestyle which forces men to be macho and masculine makes them brutal, strict, and prone to violence.
"Masculinity is an exceptional condition" was a very challenging and stimulating discourse in the beginning. We did not have any difficulty to find this concept. One day, I saw my landlord, an old man on the balcony while hanging clothes. The man who was meeting with his friends and discussing about the nations affairs in the estaminets every day, bringing home the bread, a symbolic character of patriarch on streets and at home, was hanging clothes on the balcony. Washing the clothes, hanging them, cooking, staying at home was not men’s routine (!). But ı knew that my landlord’s wife was an ill and old woman. So, was an exceptional condition necessary every time to do these kind of works and share life? Actually, men were giving up their masculinity in exceptional occasions and doing the works that have not been done, saying the things that have not been said. So, masculinity was an exceptional condition.
The aims of the exhibition are:
· To raise consciousness about the roles coming to surface with gender concept and to gain awareness about it.
· To reach equality between genders and prevent discrimination against genders.
· To help gender mainstreaming
· To collaborate with civil society organizations that carry out women studies in local areas.
· To raise respect for women’s individual rights and freedoms.
· To pay attention to the unequal roles of women and men in daily life.
How do the people attend and contribute?
People load photos appropriate for the concept. These photos are chosen from the database of the site and in the 8th of March, they are exhibited simultaneously. It is so easy to attend to the exhibition. Taking a photo related to the issue and sending it to the website is enough. But the visuals sent needs to mention about daily routine works, occupations, clothes, looking, gestures, accessories and word which are thought to belong to women, not to men. The place is everywhere, because we think that the violence against women, oppression, and discrimination is in every place: the campus, the streets, galleries, youth centers etc.
What we did?
In between 2009 and 2022 it was in 42 different cities and 256 different exhibition areas. At the same time http://www.erkeklikistisnaibirdurumdur.com website were used for online exhibition. It spread worldwide, Bengi BAŞARAN wrote “Is Masculinity Really an Exceptional Condition in Turkey?” and she attended Gendering East/West Conference in New York.
In 2011, we exhibited 70 times in 40 different cities and 5 international exhibitions in Italy, Poland, Romania, France, Greece.
In 2012, we were in Bilkent University and Metrocity Mall.
In 2014 United Nations Population Fund Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office awarded us as a good pratice.
Contact us; [email protected]
