Frederike Pezold
«Madame Cucumatz»

The female figure has been diversely represented as a column of monitors in Friedericke Pezold’s work. The Body Art films originally produced under the title 'Die neue leibhaftige Zeichensprache – The New Embodied Sign Language' have been transposed into sculptures with names such as 'Madame Cucumatz' or 'Göttin Körpertempel' ('Godess Body Temple'). With an individual runtime of some 10 minutes, the videotapes are looped infinitely, the painting – expanded to include the dimension of movement – radiates tranquillity and concentration. The single image is composed to suit the monitor frame, the sequence of images directed as a slow rhythm. The movements of the individual, contrastily stylized parts of the body deliberately evoke the stylistic devices of Japanese aesthetics. The female body is reproduced not as a projection surface for voyeuristic eyes, but as a sign.
The sculpture was first exhibited in the 1980s and '90s in a number of different versions and with various titles.