Witch women

"Women witches" is a photographic project against the current trend of youthism that values and gives visibility to mature women. An exhibition will take place from 11th to 13th June 2021 at the Espace DémArt. I have therefore launched this crowfunding to cover the costs of approximate 4500.00 CHF.

(If the exhibition could not take place on the scheduled date due to the health situation, it will be postponed but will still take place.)

My goal is to challenge the idealization and cult of youth in our current society. The revolting idea that an “expiry date” after which women are no longer desired or valid, or even feared, results from the youthism that dominates social networks, advertising, cinema and media. The woman whose age exceeds this “date” no longer exists. She is sidelined from society, if not completely invisible.

To me, the body of a woman who has lived is striking in its poetry. As it ages, the story behind it grows and the aura that emerges from it intensifies. It is the strength mingled with bewitching sensuality that I want to show through my project.

My wish is to offer a positive and uninhibited view of age by showing active and passionate women who assume and fully own their bodies.

Too often I have witnessed the pressure exerted by society on women to remain young and physically unchanged, an unrealistic and unfair requirement that impedes fulfillment and drives rejection of the body. How to age serenely, when as soon as the first grey hair appears, which sometimes arrives at the age of 20 or younger, the first instinct is to dye your hair with the risk of being considered poorly groomed, and when from the age of 30 the beautician strongly recommends that you start the anti-wrinkle creams to prevent the “damage” before it is too late, sealing your end as a desirable woman?

You have to reinvent yourself, constantly evolve, gain experience and develop personally to be successful, but the body must remain unchanged, frozen in time.

This unnatural thought of evolving independently of one’s body and not with it seems unacceptable to me. It is destructive and is only to the advantage of the cosmetics industry, which enriches itself with the suffering of women horrified by the idea of their body ageing, enrolled in a race against time lost in advance.

In the past, and still nowadays in certain cultures, such as the Amerindians, mature women were central pillars of society. They were consulted for their knowledge and wisdom, advising the community on important decisions to be made. Let us give back together to the mature women the place which belongs to her through this project.