Prostitution in Berlin, Leipzig, Bangkok, Madrid and Skopje – crushing stereotypes about one of the most taboo forms of work.
Rijeka 2020 – European Capital of Culture and the Rijeka Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art bring you the CODE:RED Rijeka exhibition by Slovenian artist Tadej Pogačar. The exhibition opens on Friday, 23 August at 8 pm at the Mali salon gallery.
Project CODE:RED, the most prominent project of the Slovenian artist and curator Tadej Pogačar, represents an exceptional example of what can be achieved during twenty years of critical exploration of the life of sex workers. Using art as a medium, Pogačar explores sex work and related topics, such as the societal perception of the profession, the black economy, human trafficking, workers’ rights in the sex industry and human rights in general. The aim of the project is to begin a dialogue, support empowerment and freedom of association and the struggle of sex workers for their sexual, labour and healthcare rights. An important part of this research was to crush the prevailing stereotypes about one of the most taboo forms of work.
The thought of finding a connection between the concepts of sex and work and compounding them into the concept of sex work is still a trigger of negative ideation in the minds of many who view these two spheres of human life as mutually exclusive.
The CODE:RED project has thus far been implemented in numerous cities: from Venice and New York all the way to Madrid and Bangkok in an effort to explore the local specifics of sex work, and to connect female sex workers to artists, activists, theoreticians, artistic institutions and organisations.
The exhibition at Mali salon, which will also be the last MMCA one to be held there, will be the perfect opportunity for Rijeka’s general public to see for the first time the photos, videos, magazines, books and project documentation produced in Berlin, Leipzig, Bangkok, Madrid and Skopje.
Here’s an excerpt from a piece of writing by Alenka Gregorič entitled CODE:RED and the Art World
“The term sex worker (added to the Oxford English Dictionary) was first coined as early as 1979/1980 by the New-York-based artist, director, activist and sex worker Carol Leigh. Initially tied specifically to performances, articles, discussions and other forms of activism in the field of sex workers’ rights advocacy, the expression sex work became popular thanks to a book entitled Sex Work: Writings by Women in the Sex Industry published in 1987. Subsequently, the term entered scientific discourse and was adopted by NGOs and workers’ movements, as well as government and international bodies such as the World Health Organization. From its inception, the term has, however, received considerable criticism and negative feedback, so it remains controversial to this day as its critics accuse it of trying to reconcile two completely irreconcilable concepts.
Namely, the word “work” should imply an income-generating activity, resulting in an end product, performed in a “normal”, conventional workplace, during office hours; it brings money to the table and earns its performer a certain status and prestige in society, and it plays a pivotal role in developing an individual’s identity. Sex is, on the other hand, viewed more as a way of unwinding after a hard day at work or forgetting about everyday concerns, generating revenue or developing and selling products; it is nothing more, nothing less than enjoyment requiring no particular space, equipment or office hours. It is certainly not a topic that is widely discussed in public, so it cannot be a matter of status or prestige. Finding a connection between the concepts of sex and work, and compounding them into the concept of sex work is still a trigger of negative ideation in the minds of many who view these two spheres of human life as mutually exclusive, and who fear the possibility that, at some point in time, this compound might alter our understanding of both.
From the very beginnings of the project, Pogačar’s interests included the following: the presentation and representation of topics related to sex work, the societal perceptions of these professions, workers’ rights in the sex industry, their tactics and ways of self-organisation, and human rights in general. He explores, analyses and comments on these issues through the lens of artistic expression. It is this very interrelatedness of arts and marginal groups that Melissa Ditmore, activist, writer and editor of several publications on sex work and the sex industry, praises when she says: “Pogačar’s work brings the sex worker’s activism into art, which in turn offers a more accessible pathway to wider audiences than any form of political activism can ever provide. Moreover, this project brings art itself into sex work. When art and sex work interact, they influence each other.”
The exhibition will remain open until 13 September 2019. The opening hours of the exhibition venue, Mali salon, are Tuesday through Sunday from 11 am to 8 pm. The exhibition was realised in cooperation with the Galerija P74i and the MGML – Mestna galerija Ljubljana, Slovenia.
