MING Studios - Elena Gallina's THE NEW WOMAN Exhibit - Artist Talk

Date: 4/4/2020 7:00 PM - 4/4/2020 7:30 PM

Location: MING Studios - 420 6th Street, Boise ID 83702

Cost: Donations Appreciated

Category: Exhibitions

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*Grant Recipient / City of Boise Cultural Ambassador*

NOTE: To prevent the spread of corona virus/COVID-19 infection, MING Studios is temporarily closed.  Events and exhibitions are postponed until further notice. We will keep you informed of updates.

OPENING Wednesday, March 25, 6-8PM
EXHIBITION March 25 - April 11, 2020
ARTIST TALK Saturday, April 4, 7PM
MING Studios Hours: Thursday to Saturday, 4pm-7pm

Amidst one of the worst summers for civilian casualties in Afghanistan’s history (2019), Elena Gallina flew to Kabul to photograph and interview dozens of women about the role beauty plays in their lives: is it a strength or weakness, a source of power or a means of exploitation? 

"I chose to photograph and speak to Afghan women because they, far too often in the last two decades, have been tokenized, victimized, and painted in only one light by the international community. Yes, they are on the frontlines. But they are neither victims nor heroes, they are simply women like all the rest, crying out to create a new kingdom.’’ – Gallina

The exhibition, unstaged portraits and ponderings, invites viewers to suspend prior conceptions of “women in war zones” and enter into a complicated, universally applicable, conversation about the dualities of beauty. Elena has been researching violence against women for many years. Having grown up in Kosovo in the aftermath of the genocide and worked in refugee camps across the Middle East since she was 17, her understanding of the complications of beauty and exploitation are deeply personal. Motivated by her own experience and those who have inspired her, her photography captures the double standards put upon women and elevates the nuances of their experience. She is currently a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford studying the historic links between women’s empowerment and physical fitness.