Dvojna agentka: Govoriš jezik rož? ni zgolj razstava, temveč tudi večplasten manifest, prepleten z dialogi med sedanjostjo in preteklostjo, med oblikovanjem, umetnostjo in filmom. 

Osrednja tema se posveča skrivnemu jeziku rož, floriografiji, ki jo je feministično gibanje pogosto uporabljalo kot orodje za osvoboditev iz sfere zasebnega. Floriografijo so za prenos skritih pomenov uporabljali  že v viktorijanski dobi, ko je priljubljenost cvetlic rožam dala vlogo posrednika  kodiranih sporočil o čustvih in morali. V nasprotju s sodobno kriptologijo, polno strojev in dešifriranja, skrivnostni jezik rož zahteva posluh.

Krhki, minljivi in očarljivi cvetlični vzorci, iz katerih izhaja metonimijaženske-rože, so povezani tako z znanostjo na eni strani, ko se ženskam pripisuje okrasno vlogo, kot s konotacijami zvijač in zahrbtnosti za prenašanje sporočil. Dvojna agentka: Govoriš jezik rož? raziskuje načine, na katere se je tega dvojnega jezika za doseganje družbenih sprememb polastila umetnost. Po definiciji Viléma Flusserja, filozofa medijev, ki oblikovanje definira kot »osnovni naklep vsake kulture, vsake civilizacije« in brez omahovanja označi oblikovalca za »zahrbtnega spletkarja, ki nastavlja pasti«, floriografija ponuja obliko upora, skrito za navidezno nedolžnostjo in zapeljivo banalnostjo jezika rož. Z združevanjem estetike in feminizma tako cvetlice pridobijo vlogo dvojnih agentk, podobnih vohunkam, ki pridobivajo in prikrivajo informacije, da bi bolje služile različnim interesom in preslepile nasprotnika. Skupna usoda Margaret Watts Hughes, Loïe Fuller in drugih ustvarjalk deloma sloni na izumu skrivnih jezikov, ki se odzivajo na »njihovo skupno usodo slepih potnic, njihovo skrivno, nepoznano življenje«, kakor pojasnjujeta Françoise Vergès ali Catherine Malabou. 

Razstava preizprašuje, na kakšen način se floriografska zvijača kaže v herbariju Rose Luksemburg, s katerim je iz ječe vodila revolucionarno marksistično skupino Spartakova zveza, v fotografijah spominčic, ki sta jih projicirala Ray in Charles Eames, da bi spodnesla ameriško vladno propagando v Moskvi, v prikrivanju identitet političnih in vojaških vodij z imeni rož srednjevzhodne flore – jeziku, ki ga je vzpostavila Fadwa Hassoun ali pa v eliksirju Marguerite Humeau, ustvarjenem prav za to razstavo.

Sodelujoči umetniki in oblikovalci (izbor):

Carole Baijings, Maja Bajević, Tristan Bartolini, Jani Bavčer, Matei Bejenaru, Zoe Beloff, John Bingley Garland, Karl Blossfeldt, Robert and Reinhold Brendel, Camille Dandelot, Jules Chéret, Segundo de Chomón, Jean Comandon and Pierre de Fonbrune, Joe Colombo, Roger Corman, Laura Couto Rosado / mudac, matali crasset, dach&zephir, Thomas Demand, William Kennedy Dickson, Rafaela Dražič, Ray and Charles Eames, Harry C. Ellis, El Último Grito, Grashina Gabelmann (Flaneur Magazine) and Michelle Phillips (Yukiko), Laureline Galliot, Martino Gamper, Jonathan Glazer, Arthur Gillet, YMER & MALTA/ Benjamin Graindorge, Vincent Grange, Roberto Greco / mudac, Axelle Grégoire, Alice Guy, Anna Hulačová, Marguerite Humeau, Janez Jager, Jakub Jansa, Jože Karlovšek, Kapwani Kiwanga, Gašper Kunšič, Emma Kunz, Tanja Lažetić, Malle Leis, Olivier Lebrun, Urs Lehni and Kurti Vool, Stefan Lorant, Polonca Lovšin, Rosa Luxemburg, Robert Mapplethorpe, Maruša Mazej, Angela Marzullo, Sarah Meyohas, Alexandra Midal, Alfons Mucha, Tilyen Mucik, M/M (Paris), Carlo Mollino, Olivier Mourgue, Matmos, Tony Oursler, Pierre Paulin, Réjean Peytavin, PfliegerFœglé, Joanna Piotrowska and Formafantasma, Cheryl Power and Andrew Syred, Walid Raad (The Atlas Group), Ana Ridler, Luca Rizzo, Marcin Rusak, Eero Saarinen, Elsa Sahal, Helene Schmitz, Ann Shelton, Antonija Kulčar Prut-Tonka, Noam Toran, Margaret Watts Hughes, Anna Zemánková, Radovan Jenko, Slavoj Žižek

Iz leve proti desni: Emma Pflieger, asistentka kustosinje, in Alexandra Midal, kustosinja BIO28. Fotografija: Lucija Rosc

ALEXANDRA MIDAL

Dr Midalis a professor in design at the MA Space & Com at HEAD – Geneva HES-SO, and Head of the department of Critical Thinking at Ensci-Les Ateliers, as well as an art and design historian who combines a practice and theory-based research as an artist-curator and film essayist. She is the author of many books including Design by Accident – For a New History of Design, Sternberg Press (2019) and catalogues such as Top Secret, cinéma & espionage, Flammarion (2022); Girls, The Troopers of Dance. Aesthetization of Politics and Manipulation of Entertainment, Faire, (2021); Politique-Fiction, Cité du design (2012); Tomorrow Now, When Design Meets Science Fiction, MUDAM (2007); etc. She has curated a number of international exhibitions about visual culture, design and politic: Top Secret, Cinémathèque Française, Paris and La Caixa, Madrid, Barcelone, Saragosse, Valencia, (2021-2024); Popcorn - Art, Design et Cinéma, MAMC, Saint-Etienne (2017); Eames & Hollywood, ADAM, Bruxelles (2016); Politique-Fiction, Cité du design, Saint-Etienne (2012) , Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, Wolfsonian FIU, Miami (2012). Her films: Mind’s Eyes; Shake, Shake, Shakers; Heaven is a State of Mind; Mind Player; Possessed; Home Sweet Ho(l)me(s); Domestic Psycho; Hocus Pocus: Twilight in My Mind; Politique-Fiction; Eames, An Atlas; Villa Frankenstein,… are screened in museums worldwide.

ALEXANDRA MIDAL

Dr Midalis a professor in design at the MA Space & Com at HEAD – Geneva HES-SO, and Head of the department of Critical Thinking at Ensci-Les Ateliers, as well as an art and design historian who combines a practice and theory-based research as an artist-curator and film essayist. She is the author of many books including Design by Accident – For a New History of Design, Sternberg Press (2019) and catalogues such as Top Secret, cinéma & espionage, Flammarion (2022); Girls, The Troopers of Dance. Aesthetization of Politics and Manipulation of Entertainment, Faire, (2021); Politique-Fiction, Cité du design (2012); Tomorrow Now, When Design Meets Science Fiction, MUDAM (2007); etc. She has curated a number of international exhibitions about visual culture, design and politic: Top Secret, Cinémathèque Française, Paris and La Caixa, Madrid, Barcelone, Saragosse, Valencia, (2021-2024); Popcorn - Art, Design et Cinéma, MAMC, Saint-Etienne (2017); Eames & Hollywood, ADAM, Bruxelles (2016); Politique-Fiction, Cité du design, Saint-Etienne (2012) , Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, Wolfsonian FIU, Miami (2012). Her films: Mind’s Eyes; Shake, Shake, Shakers; Heaven is a State of Mind; Mind Player; Possessed; Home Sweet Ho(l)me(s); Domestic Psycho; Hocus Pocus: Twilight in My Mind; Politique-Fiction; Eames, An Atlas; Villa Frankenstein,… are screened in museums worldwide.