In October 2023, my article “Exposer une robe de chair : les cas de Jana Sterbak et Lady Gaga” (Exposing a Meat Dress: The Cases of Jana Sterbak and Lady Gaga) was published in Exposer l’exposition et autres activités de reconstitution en art contemporain (Exposing the Exhibition and Other Activities of Reconstruction in Contemporary Art), edited by Mélanie Boucher and Marie-Hélène Leblanc at the Galerie UQO. This study focuses on reconstruction as a critical tool in contemporary art through the example of the famous Vanitas: Jana Sterbak’s anorexic albino meat dress and Lady Gaga’s Meat Dress.
Reference of the conference proceedings:
“Exposer une robe de chair : les cas de Jana Sterbak et Lady Gaga,” in Exposer l’exposition et autres activités de reconstitution en art contemporain (Exposing the Exhibition and Other Activities of Reconstruction in Contemporary Art), under the direction of Mélanie Boucher and Marie-Hélène Leblanc, Gatineau: Galerie UQO.
When Fashion Meets Contemporary Art
Jana Sterbak’s work, presented in 1991 at the Museum of Fine Arts in Canada, marked art history with its provocative use of animal flesh. Twenty years later, Lady Gaga appropriated this imagery by wearing a meat dress at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, reigniting debates on the body, consumption, and performance. My analysis sheds light on these two works from the perspective of cultural reconstruction and adaptation.
Reconstruction as Critical Reflection
Within the framework of the book, I explore how reconstruction in art is not limited to simple reproduction, but becomes a reflective and performative strategy. Far from being mere homages, these reactivations question the impact of context, public perception, and societal changes on the reception of a work.
A Work on the Memory and Transformation of Art
Exposer l’exposition (Exposing the Exhibition) offers a deep reflection on how works can be revisited, rethought, and reactivated over time. Through various case studies, it examines reconstruction as a critical process within contemporary art.