Artist Talk I Challenge you to love me: Tatjana Almuli in conversation with Diana Blok
In the run-up to Queer & Pride Amsterdam, Museum Cobra is organizing the artist talk I Challenge you to love me. Writer and journalist Tatjana Almuli, known for among other things the online VPRO series Dikke vette leugens, will talk with artist Diana Blok about important themes in her work, such as sexual identity, women’s rights and gender inequality.
In the run-up to Queer & Pride Amsterdam, Museum Cobra is organizing the artist talk I Challenge you to love me. Writer and journalist Tatjana Almuli, known for among other things the online VPRO series Dikke vette leugens, will talk with artist Diana Blok about important themes in her work, such as sexual identity, women’s rights and gender inequality.
When: Saturday, August 31
Time: 16.00 – 18.00 hours
Where: Museum Cobra
Language: Dutch
Price: 5 euro including museum admission and a drink
Register: via link
The thread running through Almuli’s work is breaking through stigmas and making taboo subjects open for discussion. She questions topics that are surrounded by shame and discomfort or that are often treated in a one-sided way, such as taking up more space as a woman, prevailing beauty ideals and the obsession with appearance at all, stigmas and prejudices around being fat, but also for example around being queer.For Blok, too, there are no fixed aesthetic principles, no judgments about sexual preference, gender, religion or skin color. With her portraits of free-spirited women, trans people and homosexuals, Blok cut through subjects decades ago that are still very relevant today. The imposed aesthetic and the dominance of the Western ideal of beauty is a theme that regularly appears in both Blok’s and Almuli’s work.
Program:
16.00 – 16.30u Opportunity to view the exhibition
16.30 – 17.15u Tatjana Almuli in conversation with Diana Blok
17.15 – 17.30u Q & A
17.30 – 18.00h Closing drinks
About Tatjana Almuli
Tatjana Almuli (Amstelveen, 1991) is a writer, photographer and presenter. She has published in among others de Volkskrant, Het Parool, Vogue, ELLE and writes a monthly column for Flow.
Her books Knap for a fat girl (2019) and Ik zal je nooit meer (2022) were nominated for the Opzij Literature Prize. Together with writer Malou Holshuijsen, she makes the weekly podcast Between Thirty and Dying.
She also hosts the online VPRO series Dikke vette leugens.
Photographer: Charlotte Mendez Correa
About Diana Blok
Artist Diana Blok (Uruguay, 1952) grew up with a Dutch father and an Argentine mother in various Latin American countries. In the 1970s she settles in Amsterdam. There begins the journey of discovery of her identity, with the camera as her companion. A self-taught portrait photographer, she first turns her gaze to herself, visualizing myths and dreams and capturing forms of kinship between people. Blok recognizes her own story in those of others. In countries where there is only one sexual norm and every other behavior is suppressed, she creates penetrating portraits. In theatrical staging and spatial film installations, gender and imagination play an important role.Blok’s work is essentially about that one special moment when someone exposes themselves, wants to be seen, appreciated and loved.
Photographer: Sonia Herman Dolz
Queer & Pride Amsterdam
Queer Amsterdam stands for promoting equality, fighting inequality of opportunity and strengthening the social and economic position of all people who identify as LGBTQIAP+. Queer Amsterdam believes it is important to release gender, find connection with each other and create awareness from an intersectional perspective. Anti-discrimination in all areas is one of our core values. Queer Amsterdam (queer-amsterdam.org)Pride Amsterdam is an annual event celebrated worldwide. It aims to promote solidarity, inclusion and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community and this year is dedicated to connection with the theme TOGETHER. Pride Amsterdam celebrates the message of love for our loved ones, but also love for those who are further away from us but face similar challenges because of their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or diversity in gender development. TOGETHER in Pride. For ourselves as well as for others. Pride Amsterdam
Queer Amsterdam stands for promoting equality, fighting inequality of opportunity and strengthening the social and economic position of all people who identify as LGBTQIAP+. Queer Amsterdam believes it is important to release gender, find connection with each other and create awareness from an intersectional perspective. Anti-discrimination in all areas is one of our core values. Queer Amsterdam (queer-amsterdam.org)Pride Amsterdam is an annual event celebrated worldwide. It aims to promote solidarity, inclusion and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community and this year is dedicated to connection with the theme TOGETHER. Pride Amsterdam celebrates the message of love for our loved ones, but also love for those who are further away from us but face similar challenges because of their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or diversity in gender development. TOGETHER in Pride. For ourselves as well as for others. Pride Amsterdam