Abstract

How can the body be a source of cultural change when it is a heavily contested subject?

“Codified Bodies” is a collection of performative wearables which adapt the natural defense mechanisms of animals onto the human body, acting as a tool to investigate the issues of violence and harassment. These wearable tools engage various communities in the exploration of gender and identity performance, personal boundaries within the public, and what constitutes harmonious social conduct. They consider the body as a site inherent in acts of sexual violence, creating a dialogue about the relationship between the [un]recognizable body and its misplacement as a harassment stimulator, as well as how personal interactions change as the body is obscured, extended, and amplified. The wearables were utilized in a series of workshops, engaging participants in movement and writing activities to connect personal instances of harassment to larger systems of oppression.

About the presenter

Jen Krava is on the Creative Services team at Forecast, and teaches as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Landscape Architecture department at the University of Minnesota's College of Design. She holds a MDes, Art, Design and the Public Domain degree at Harvard GSD, where she graduated with commendation and received the Unsung Hero Award. She also holds a MLA degree from the University of Minnesota, was a former Somerville Arts Council Fellowship Grantee, was past Curator of the GSD Kirkland Gallery, a former member of the SafeCampus team for the Berkman Center's Digital Problem Solving Initiative, a former President of the ASLA-MN student chapter, and was a research fellow during Yale Summer Session June 2011 studio art workshop in Auvillar, France.