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Norene
Leddy / New York
The
Aphrodite Project PLATFORMS
Platforms,
the latest series of work in the ongoing Aphrodite Project,
is a social sculpture: an interactive, wearable device that
is a conceptual homage to the cult of the Greek goddess of
love, Aphrodite, a practical object for contemporary sex workers,
and a vehicle for public dialogue. An integrated system of
shoes and online services, Platforms draws on innovations
made by venerated courtesans from antiquity to improve conditions
of 21st century women who, despite advances in culture and
technology, are now perceived to be outlaws by trade and are
vulnerable to surveillance and violence. Platforms empowers
people by providing tools they need to stay safe.
For
Project One Stop at Art Caucasus 2007 in Tbilisi, Georgia,
Norene Leddy created In Her Shoes | In Her Head: a performance,
workshop, and urban intervention. As in all her Aphrodite
Project works, Leddy collaborated with local communities to
address their specific needs, wants, and desires. In her discussions
with Georgian NGOs, researchers, and social workers before
and during her stay in Tbilisi, it became clear that the fear
of being ‘outed’ or exposed by the media was of
primary concern for everyone involved. Local community members
requested a ‘private’ public discussion in a safe
space sensitive to the needs of a vulnerable population. To
address this, Leddy split In Her Shoes | In Her Head into
two parts: one private session for NGO workers, their clients,
and allies; and one for the general public.
The
private performance was held at Inclusive Foundation, an NGO
that works with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
population in Tbilisi. Tanadgoma, an NGO that works primarily
with sex workers, was also invited to participate. |
Using
Leddy’s Platforms artwork as a starting point, the
audience engaged in a frank and open exchange about sex
work, sex workers, the role of contemporary artists in society,
the significant differences between sex work in the US and
Georgia, police protection and personal safety. The audience
tried on Leddy’s Platforms shoes, playfully modeling
them for each other, as well as participating in a workshop
in which they built personal audible alarm systems to use
when physically threatened. The same alarm is embedded in
the Platforms shoes, and can also be used in handbags, jackets
and other clothing. This DIY alarm system uses inexpensive
components and is easy to assemble (no soldering or special
skills required).
The
second part of the project was an open public intervention
in an underpass on Rustaveli Avenue, below Kashveti Church.
An empty glass storefront was transformed into a modified
shoe store that combined the image of commerce with the
reality of political action. The Platforms shoes and The
Aphrodite Project logo were displayed prominently and the
“shop” was open during regular business hours.
Leaflets and stickers explaining the project in Georgian
and English were handed out, and passersby were invited
in to try on the shoes. Four pairs of the sandals with working
video screens and audible alarm systems were available,
including a men's size 10 for the transsexual population.
During this interaction, Leddy explained the functionality
and concepts behind the shoes, and “customers”
were invited to exchange their views on sex work.
Prostitution's
quasi-legal status in Georgia has frustrated women's rights
groups who want it abolished, sex workers' rights groups
who seek regulation and protection, and the general public
whose views are often ambivalent. In Her Shoes | In Her
Head offered an opportunity for public debate and expression
outside of the typical political arena.
For
additional project information, please visit the Platforms
websites:
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