julie legouez
There is no safe Space Bedding, acrylic, Phototransfer framed in beds 
2024 



The number of cases of intimate partner violence in Germany is steadily increasing. In 2022, authorities recorded 240,547 victims of domestic violence, including 157,818 cases of intimate partner violence—almost 10% more than the previous year. This averages to 432 cases per day. Around 80% of the victims are women, and the majority of the perpetrators are their ex- or current partners. One can assume a significantly higher number of unreported cases.

statement
I see life as the „real moment,” and art as the documentation of these. My everyday life is in this view the performance, my artworks their relic. Every feeling, every thought, and every question, however irrelevant, is significant to me. I collect and preserve them. Everything is equally important.

In my work I conduct several investigations into the most diverse forms of love: the unrequited, unhappy or failed love, as well as large and small crushes. For this, I place myself in the center of the observation, as a proxy, so to speak. Without regard to possible embarrassment, I let the viewers participate in my most intimate thoughts, feelings and experiences. The viewers can remember their private love stories and dramas and identify with me.

Furthermore, my focus is on representing feminist topics such as domestic violence, femicide and the structural oppression of FLINTA* individuals. Personal experiences and relationships are part of a larger social context and are often affected by patriarchal power structures.

By analyzing these two themes, I aim to draw attention to the close connections between the personal and the political. My art is intended to contribute to the recognition that societal issues such as violence against FLINTA* individuals and unhealthy relationship dynamics should not be viewed as purely private matters, but urgent issues that concern everyone.

about*1988
Julie Legouez (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Berlin. She studied Fine Arts in Berlin and Vancouver. Her works have been presented in national and international exhibitions, most recently at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg. In 2023, Legouez received the NEUSTARTplus grant from the Stiftung Kunstfonds. Since 2022, she has been working as an independent curator.

She is a co-curator of "FIGHT OR FLIGHT".