YOU CANNOT FEEL IT...I WISH YOU COULD
YOU CANNOT FEEL IT…I WISH YOU COULD for Hardcore Art Contemporary Space in Miami, FL
Location: Hardcore Art Contemporary Space | Miami, FL, 2000 – 2009
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This work explores the interplay between biology and society. I pose two questions: To what degree are gender-specific roles biologically determined? What happens to those roles as both society and biology evolve?
The ideas arose in a very personal context; during my pregnancy, and afterwards when I was nursing our daughter, I noticed how curious my husband was about my experiences. More than once he pressed Shammiel against his own nipple to see if she would suckle. I wanted to create a piece around motherhood, and the unbridgeable gulf between the male and female bodies, specifically in the area of reproduction. Then I began to imagine ways in which that gulf might be bridged.
Central to this work is the concept of male pregnancy. Given recent startling developments in our understanding of genetics and medicine, we may soon see a future in which women and men will both have the opportunity to carry a pregnancy. This shift would have not only enormous biological ramifications, but would also motivate a reexamination, if not total upheaval, of deep-rooted social conventions. In You Cannot Feel It…, I fantasize what such a world might be like.
Within the space, people encounter “clones” of a new kind of human body: handmade paper sculptures of a pregnant female torso with the same male head attached to each of them. These casts were taken from a mold made from my body the week before I gave birth to, Shammiel. The floor beneath and around the body casts will be covered with soft, pale sand referencing the earth as a foundation for biological manipulation.
I had the opportunity to collaborate with composer Meshell Ndegeocello in creating a piece of music made specifically for the installation. The lighting in the space and the music will reinforce the magical quality that many of us feel when confronting the wonders (or monsters?) of modern science.
In her captivating exploration, artist Grimanesa Amoros delves into the intricate relationship between biology and society, posing fundamental questions about the influence of biology on gender-specific roles and their evolution in changing societal landscapes.
Inspired by personal experiences during pregnancy and nursing, Grimanesa observes the curious nuances of gender disparities, sparking a creative impulse to bridge the gap between male and female bodies. At the core of her work, “You Cannot Feel It…,” she envisions a future where both men and women may experience pregnancy, challenging entrenched social norms.
In the installation space, viewers encounter handmade paper sculptures—clones of a pregnant female torso with a male head, crafted from molds taken from Grimanesa’s body. Symbolic of a foundational connection to the earth, soft, pale sand surrounds these sculptures. Collaborating with composer Meshell Ndegeocello, Grimanesa weaves a sensory experience with lighting and music, inviting viewers to engage with modern science’s extraordinary possibilities and mysteries in a concise yet impactful journey.