Spiaggia Libera is pleased to announce its second participation at the Miart art fair with a solo show project by the French artist Marilou Poncin, in the Portal section, curated by Alessio Antoniolli.

For her booth at Miart, Marilou Poncin draws inspiration from the studioli of the Italian Renaissance: these richly decorated private cabinets dedicated to reflection, discussion, and sometimes the display of hidden erotic works.

She recreates this spirit with a series of photographic pieces and ceramics exploring erotic representations of the female body. A green veil draped over part of the booth creates an intimate atmosphere and sparks the curiosity of visitors.

On the right, a large lightbox depicts an abstract landscape, extending her series What Girls Are Made Of, which metaphorizes the interior of young women. A set of ceramics — evoking jewelry, seashells, and wall mirrors — reveals miniature erotic images.

On the central wall, a new photographic triptych is revealed, inspired by the metamorphoses of Zeus. However, here, the artist presents the metamorphosis of a woman, who takes the place of the god of gods.

In classical painting, these mythological stories often served to justify the depiction of naked female bodies, thus catering to the expectations of the patrons of the time. These visions, shaped by a male gaze, contrast with the approach of Artemisia Gentileschi, whose unique perspective managed to subvert conventions. A true source of inspiration, Marilou Poncin continues this legacy by offering a reinterpretation that subtly subverts the expectations and codes inherited from the history of art.

Her interest in the Renaissance, paired with her reflections on the future of bodies and technologies, reflects a desire to explore the origins of contemporary erotic representations.

Originally conceived by and for a male gaze, these images are the ancestors of our current erotic and pornographic imagery. By revisiting these visual codes that have endured for over 400 years, Marilou Poncin questions how they continue to influence our perception of the female body and its portrayal.

Launched in 2015 after receiving the Inrocks Lab award (new video creation), her work was subsequently exhibited at Espace Témoin (Geneva), Frac Île-de-France, La Villette, Les Magasins Généraux, La Gaîté Lyrique, and at festivals such as the Créteil International Women’s Film Festival and Videoformes in Clermont-Ferrand. More recently, she designed a multimedia installation for CAC Passerelle Brest and a photo series exhibited at the Ricoh Art Gallery in Tokyo, curated by Pascal Beausse. In 2022, she was shortlisted for the Sam Prize for Contemporary Art and was invited by MAC Lyon for her first solo museum exhibition. Supported by the Fondation des Artistes, she created a new multimedia installation titled Liquid Love is Full of Ghosts, currently presented at the Discovery Award of the Rencontres d’Arles Photography Festival 2024.