An impression of the exhibition Femina Ludens

Femina Ludens

The exhibition Femina Ludens is the first museum solo exhibition of artist Kitty Maria. Kitty has been living and working in Amsterdam for several years now, but has her roots in Ottersum, Limburg. In her art, Kitty Maria critically and sometimes humorously examines automation in the workplace. What does the replacement of human labour by machines or computers mean for people and their environment? Through videos, performances, sculptures and installations, she claims space for experimentation, play and feminism in normally economy-driven environments. The ‘Femina Ludens’ exhibition can be seen at Museum van Bommel van Dam in Venlo from 18 March to 2 July 2023.

Kitty and Constant

When I enter the beautiful space where Kitty Maria and curator Sjors Bindels staged the exhibition Femina Ludens, I am struck by the intuitive correlations to Constant and his practice. With the windows uncovered, the light in the space resembles Constant’s own studio Wittenburg in Amsteram whilst at the same time creating that link with world outside. Constant’s studio was an old gymnastics room with a high ceiling and ceiling high windows on three sides. 

The colour of the exhibition texts is a muted pastel purple, a colour that Constant used a lot in his coloristic works in the nineties and 00’s. The designers from Studio Luidspreker obviously know what they are doing. In the corner next to the text explaining the link with Constant, hangs the watercolour Le Misanthrope (1981). A naked man, portrayed full frontal in sepia and browns. The vulnerable figure is a far stretch from the grand ideas, utopian visions and revolt Constant’s New Babylon work reflects. When you consider male and female qualities present on a scale in every person rather than a binary concept, this vulnerability places the work firmly on the feminine pole. The sepia and brown hues of the watercolour echo in the sculptures, The Structural Dynamics of Flow. These apects creating a sense of belonging and conversation between the works.

Telling the story together over time

Meandering through the exhibition I’m struck by the craftmanship of the works, the intricate details, the love for and knowledge of the materials. I marvel at the sheer expansion of the different techniques used and the number of different projects on show, I mean the artist is 31 years old and has only graduated recently.

When I finally browse throught the booklet she and her sister and art historian Marieke van Ekeren created to accompany the exhibition, a true work of art in itself, I realise she doesn’t shy away from critcal reflection either. It feels like she continues the story that Constant started telling, taking it in her own direction without abandoning the plot. Within the goals of Constant 101 in mind this exhibtion is everything I could have wishes for. A reflection, new perspectives, critical thoughts and beautiful and thought provoking work. In my humble opinion Kitty Maria embodies both the Femina Ludens and the Femina Universalis.

Kim van der Horst | Director Fondation Constant