Nicola L.’s sculptural series, Pénétrables, showcases wearable objects resembling empty skins with openings, sleeves, eye holes, and zips. Originally designed as participatory works, viewers were encouraged to insert arms, legs, or faces into these hollow bodies, creating a mix of humor and horror. The exhibition, Nicola L.: I Am the Last Woman Object, at the Camden Art Centre features a touchable reconstruction of “Fur Room” (1970/2020), a room filled with purple faux fur-covered cubic metal armatures and empty skins hanging from the walls, floor, and ceiling.
The experience of interacting with these pieces evokes a mix of comfort and unease, sensuality and shudders. The tactile nature of the soft fur juxtaposed with the repulsion of dirt and sweat adds layers of complexity to the exhibition. The physical interaction with the fur room parallels the awkwardness of participatory artwork, forcing visitors to navigate unspoken rules and confront their own discomfort in the brightly lit gallery space.
Gender relations play a significant role in Nicola L.’s work, highlighting the penetrability of the female body and the conflicting associations it carries. The exhibition delves into the contradictions of female experience, ranging from objectification to the creative act of childbirth. Household items like the “Grey Rug for Five People” and sculptural sofas shaped like feet or dismembered bodies reflect Nicola L.’s interest in the intersection of domestic objects and gendered behaviors.
One of the central pieces, “Little TV Woman,” features a faceless stuffed doll with drawers in her breasts and pelvis, and a television screen in her abdomen displaying the text, “I am the last woman object. You can take my lips, touch my breasts, caress my stomach, my sex. But I repeat it. It is the last time.” This statement of defiance questions the perpetuity of women being objectified.
Nicola L.: I Am the Last Woman Object is a thought-provoking exhibition that challenges traditional notions of gender, domesticity, and art. Curated by Martin Clark, the show runs at the Camden Art Centre in London until December 29.
