What does ’masculinity‘ look like? Since gender is often still wrongly linked to sex, the assumption is that men need to be ‘masculine’ and women need to be ‘feminine’. Does this mean that men must only be ‘masculine’ and women always ‘feminine’? And what about people who do not conform to these concepts altogether? Is it possible that our binary idea of gender is limiting not only to the minority but to most people in our society?
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To find answers to these questions, photographer and artist Aline Pape started her project Modern Gender, Masculinities in 2020. She searches for men and people assigned masculine at birth (amab) in different cities around Germany via online platforms to work with them. She offers participants traditionally ‘feminine’ attributes such as clothes, jewellery, and nail polish, thereby opening up a free space in which people are allowed to experiment with their ‘feminine’ side in terms of their appearance. With this process, she attempts to change the ‘gender expression’ of men to see how their ‘gender performance’ and therefore their ‘habitus’ transformed. Some wear such clothing for the first time.
It became an experiment to see how far photography can influence social processes by questioning the problematic and normalised representations of ‘masculinity’ while highlighting alternatives outside of the binary.
In late 2022 the project was released as a photo book box in collaboration with GRAVUR Verlag, in a limited edition of 100 handmade books. The work was showcased in a solo exhibition in Paris in May 2023 and is currently touring with selected works and the book throughout Germany.
KB: Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your project, the Modern Gender Project?
With the project, I wanted to question the traditional gender binary and gender presentation of the ´masculine` and `feminine`. I have been inspired by the sentence “Acting like a girl” in the book “Women Don´t owe you pretty” by Florence Given. It made me think about what this might mean for men in our society who are mostly discouraged to look or be feminine. While it is more accepted for women to be both feminine and masculine. Within the whelm of feminism, I wanted to challenge this idea of restriction and give men the opportunity to feel empowered through traditional femininity and to question what this means to them.
KB: Why was it important for you to include people assigned masculine at birth in your project?
It was important to me to challenge the traditional ‘masculine’ image. Patriarchal structures are still very present in our society and I wanted to explore new ways to challenge these norms, which are not only harming every ‘feminine’ presenting person. ‘Hegemonic masculinity’ (dominant masculinity) is a problem which affects not only women and people of the LGBTQIA+ community but also men who might not fit into the ideal of traditional ‘masculinity’. I think it is important that ‘masculinity’ becomes more open to change to achieve more gender equality.
KB: How did you go about finding participants for the project?
At the beginning of the project, I asked people in my closer environment, friends and family. But when the project started to grow, I received some funding, which made it possible to branch out. I wanted to bring the project to Berlin, Hamburg and Leipzig. Unfortunately, I was not able to use Instagram advertisements because Instagram thought I was promoting porn, because I had previously posted a project about breasts. So I had to find another solution and started to use dating platforms to find people to participate in the project, as well as word of mouth. Especially interesting for me were the people for whom the project was the first point of contact with the topic.
KB: Could you share with us any memorable experiences you’ve had working with participants in the project?
I noticed that a few people had a strong interest in the project but were too scared to participate. One person was worried about being perceived as homosexual by his friends and colleagues at work and that this would result in hostility against him. I thought that this said a lot about the fact that gender is often still confused with sexuality. On another note, I´ve noticed that the shootings sometimes had quite an impact on some participants. Many of them started to incorporate ‘femininity’ into their day-to-day life, in the way they presented themselves. Some started to wear make-up or nail polish, some even bought more ‘feminine’ clothing. Which to me was a great first step in changing traditional ‘masculinity’. I received some feedback that the project had given them space to question their own identity and to be more open. One person later told me that the project had completely changed their own identity and pronouns, and thanked me very much for this experience.
KB: What kind of impact do you hope the project will have on society’s understanding of gender?
I am convinced that photography can be an important part of the new feminist movement. It creates the opportunity to convey an idea where words are not necessary. Since its conception, photography has had a great influence on our collective acceptance of heteronormativity. Photography, then, can be a powerful tool in the pursuit of an equal society that does not reduce people to their bodies and appearances. I believe that by challenging dominant masculinity, issues become visible that were a long time not seen. The current movement of feminism deals with issues regarding equality which do not only concern women but everyone in society. I hope that people who see my work think that gender is flexible and that our gender expression can be different from our gender identity. I also hope that people get more used to seeing ‘feminine presenting’ men and that it might empower people.
KB: What challenges did you face during the project and how did you overcome them?
One of the challenges was to find people willing to participate. As mentioned before, some men were scared to be perceived a certain way by other people. Another challenge however was that when I used dating platforms to reach out to more people, I encountered some people who pretended to be interested in the project but then started to hit on me, which I was aware could happen, but of course, it is still uncomfortable when it actually does. So, I started to always have a pre-interview before the actual shooting to see what the vibe was. I also used this to set an expectation and to already make the participants comfortable with me as well.
During the shoot, I often noticed that the people were slipping into roles and did not feel like themselves. But the tension eased after we both got more and more involved in the situation and talked about these feelings. I deliberately used pictures taken at the end of the shoot because most of the people were completely themselves and had the normalization of the situation in their eyes.
KB: What was the significance of releasing the project as a photo book box in a limited edition?
Together with the GRAVUR Verlag, we meticulously crafted 100 book copies down to the smallest details, employing our own handiwork. We bound the pages, created and screen-printed the cover, and bound the preliminary studies and text booklet with interviews and many texts about the topic and project. Collaborating with GRAVUR Verlag provided me with the opportunity to shape the project in all its complexity and transform it into a unique small artwork. I think in this artwork it is possible to completely sink into the reality I want to create. I am deeply grateful to have found a publisher who appreciates craftsmanship and collaboratively brings small projects like this to life.
KB: Can you share with us any future plans for the Modern Gender Project?
Yes, the project is far from over, there are so many issues that need to be addressed. I am actually going to keep working on it in the coming year during my master’s in Photography and Society at the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague. I would like to see how the project develops in a cross-cultural space, with participants from different cultural backgrounds. I am also thinking of branching out and adding two other projects afterwards. One about women and one about non-binary people. I would like to collect people’s stories and experiences with their gender and communicate these experiences to the broader public. My main goal is always to empower people and give them a voice.
KB: Lastly, what advice do you have for others hoping to challenge traditional ideas of masculinity and femininity in their work?
Well, I guess first one should try to question the social boundaries of traditional gender expressions and should be aware that gender is something which can differ quite a bit depending on its socio-historical context. I also think that it is always important to open up a conversation with people about their experiences with gender. This can really be quite enlightening. Creating some sort of contrast can also help to make something visible. Feminists have done it quite often in the past through clothing. By wearing pants in the 1920s, or broad shoulder jackets in the 1990s, they pushed the boundaries of what women can wear. I am trying to do the same with men. A contrast can challenge a boundary and create a new ‘normal’.
I think what we see, hear, and talk about the most shapes our perception of reality. The more we engage in diverse discussions about gender, be it through design, photography, and other mediums, the more we contribute to the creation of a new, more inclusive reality. Therefore, I want to inspire and empower all individuals working in these fields to confidently showcase their unique perspectives, thoughts, and art through their chosen medium, fostering a more open world.
moderngender.eu
www.instagram.com/gravur_studio
www.instagram.com/aline.pape
alinepape.com
