VAGINAS THAT SAVE THE WORLD

VAGINAS THAT SAVE THE WORLD

Vulva protects what we now miss

Yvonne Beelen has been involved with the vagina all her life as an artist. The female genitalia also appears to be a relevant topic in the corona lockdown, because the vulva has traditionally helped to avert danger and harm. “So basically to save the world,” says Yvonne. Every reason for her to start a project about this: Talisvrouw.

ROTTERDAM – “In our time, a vagina is primarily sexual. Something that does not belong in the open. But I wondered if that’s actually always been the case. When I started researching that, I came across a fantastic phenomenon from our own European cultural history, ”says Yvonne. Namely the “Sheela-na-gigs”. These are stone ornaments from the Middle Ages that depict a female figure showing their vagina. The vulva is overly large and often spread out. Hundreds of them have been found on the British island, in Ireland and France, among others. The images often hung on churches to protect against danger. ”

The vagina was thus seen as a talisman, a good luck charm. In the project Talisvrouw, Yvonne asks people to make a vagina with Ministeck, hang it in a place that could use some protection and take a selfie with it. “Because of Covid we are no longer allowed to meet in, for example, the sports club, pub or at school. So those places of being together are now under threat. With Talis women we can protect them. ” “I’ve already sent Ministeck packages to about 75 people around the world. In the Netherlands, Belgium, France, England and Uzbekistan. A few more are going to Greece this week. ”

Ministeck

For those who are not familiar with Ministeck: it is a toy where you poke colored plastic mosaic stones into a plate with holes and thus imitate a picture. It was especially popular in the 1970s. “I think I’ve been collecting Ministeck for ten years now. My father is a great help in this. He is the manager of a thrift store and he collects with me. ”

“I think Ministeck is such a beautiful medium. You don’t have to be able to paint to make a nice picture. The stones automatically give it something graphic. You will not be able to make a true-to-life vulva with it. That is not bad, because it is more about protecting by using the feminine power. ” The fact that it might become a bit abstract is nice in case people take offense at it. “Because the vagina remains a loaded topic for some,” says Yvonne.

She explains: “On the one hand, the vagina is an uncommon topic of conversation, but on the other it is quite normal because we are all born from it. It is the place where we all come from. But I notice that an image of a vagina quickly makes you think of sexuality. Because you see that mainly in pornography. And to have that on your facade… Then how people thought about it in the Middle Ages is refreshing. ”

“My own Talis wife is meant for Aloha, in the former Tropicana building. I’m going to make another one at the end of the project, but then from porcelain. It will hang permanently in one of the places that people nominate me via the selfie with their Talis wife. ”

Make your own Talis woman

If you would also like to make a vulva to protect a place, please contact Yvonne. “Then I make new Ministeck packages.” Then write a short motivation why you want to participate. Yvonne’s contact information is at collectiony.earth.

author: Nynke Vermaat
source: NEWSPAPER DE HAVENLOODS
date: 10 februari 2021
LINK TO NEWSPAPER: www.havenloods.nl