Prologue 1 WHIRLINGLinn Sandberg STORIES POSTSOCIALIST FEMINIST IMAGINARIESGetting AND THE VISUAL ARTS Intimate a feminist analysisRedi of old Koobak age, masculinity & sexuality Linköping Studies in Arts and Science • No. 527 LinköpingLinköping University, Studies Department in Arts of Thematicand Science, Studies No. – Gender 564 Studies Linköping University, DepartmentLinköping, of Thematic 2011 Studies – Gender Studies Linköping 2013 2 Prologue Linköping Studies in Arts and Science • No. 564 At the Faculty of Arts and Science at Linköping University, research and doctoral studies are carried out within broad problem areas. Research is organized in interdisciplinary research environments and doctoral studies mainly in graduate schools. Jointly, they publish the series Linköping Studies in Arts and Science. This thesis comes from Tema Genus, the Department of Thematic Studies – Gender Studies. Distributed by: TEMA – the Department of Thematic Studies Linköpings universitet 581 83 Linköping Sweden Redi Koobak Whirling Stories: Postsocialist Feminist Imaginaries and the Visual Arts Edition 1:1 ISBN 978-91-7519-776-0 ISSN: 0282-9800 Ⓒ Redi Koobak TEMA – the Department of Thematic Studies, 2013 Artworks Ⓒ All rights reserved Printed by LiU-Tryck, Linköping, 2013 Cover photo by Anna-Stina Treumund Prologue 3 To my kindred spirit, my niece Nele, who was born as I was beginning this research 4 Prologue Prologue 5 CONTENTS acknowledgements 9 prologue: a matter of whirling 19 1 introduction 25 Locating feminist imaginaries and the visual arts 27 Aims and research questions 38 Meeting Anna-Stina Treumund 43 Anna-Stina Treumund’s art and activism 48 Troubling time and space 52 Materials, methods, ethics 55 Snapshot of the thesis 66 2 tools and concepts 71 The visual and the geopolitical 73 Art and identity: identification and disidentification 74 Imagin(in)g selves: “what can a woman do with a camera?” 76 Performativity and the politics of in/visibility 86 Feminism and geopolitics as an axis of difference 91 Affinities between postcolonial and postsocialist perspectives 97 Lag discourse and queer time 103 Should one only represent oneself? 110 Interlude I: inscribed in ambivalence 119 3 situating ambivalence 127 Deconstructing an impasse in feminist theorizing 128 Exhibition opening 129 How to recognize a lesbian 135 What I can’t see 144 Am I that critic? 148 6 Acknowledgements Interlude II: Shifting to whirling the world 153 4 claiming space: you, me and everyone we don’t know 157 Opening: I am here 159 Troubling Drag 162 Intertextual allusions 167 Taking agency 173 5 queering men: loser 2011 183 Opening: My mother’s eyes 185 The discourse of “winners” and “losers” 191 “What’s in a face?” Becoming Martin, Veiko and Lauri 197 The phenomenon of A Loser by Kai Kaljo 211 “I’m a real man”: Peeter 218 “Your periphery is my centre” 222 6 affective histories: woman in the corner of mutsu’s drawings 227 Opening: touching across time 229 A woman in the corner 233 The legacy of Marju Mutsu 244 The art of homage 249 “Fans of feminism” as excessive readers 252 Together II 256 A queer desire for history 261 7 conclusion 267 Whirling Subjects 269 What I see now 273 What I still can’t see 280 bibliography 286 Acknowledgements 7 8 Acknowledgements Acknowledgements 9 Acknowledgements As far back as I can remember myself, my timing has always been somewhat off. So it is quite amusing to me that I started writing about lateness and “lagging behind”. I feel at my best when I can take my time, when I’m not rushed. This often means that I have to make great efforts to fit into other people’s timelines. Despite my best intentions, deadlines often find me working up to the last minute. In the process of writing this thesis, I have finally made peace with my eternal time optimism that doesn’t always match the reality. Although it wasn’t always easy, I eventually came to the conclusion that, with things I really care about, it is fine, even necessary, to act as if I have all the time in the world. I certainly took my time with this thesis. Throughout the writing process, I learned a lot about queer timings and non-normative temporal trajectories and took note of the idea that lateness is not always a negative thing. Yet there comes a moment when time does run out, even if you would like to go on and on. As I’m putting the finishing touches to this manuscript, I am reminded of the myriad of wonderful people who allowed me to take my time yet also made sure that I would not be left lingering in the endless loop of “tomorrows”. First and foremost, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Anna-Stina Treumund, the main star of my thesis. Thank you, Anna-Stina, for trusting me with your time, patience, energy, art, thoughts, visions, desires and dreams! You have served as my inspiration for this research and I literally could not have done it without you! It has been an enjoyable, thought- provoking and challenging journey and I hope our creative dialogues will continue far into the futures to come. Thank you also for designing the beautiful cover for my book and for taking the trouble to fix the typesetting in the last-minute frenzy. Heartfelt thanks are also due to my amazing supervisors, Nina Lykke and Cecilia Åsberg! Thank you, Nina, for your unwavering support, generosity and encouragement as this thesis was taking shape. Your open mind and your passionate involvement in my project, even when I myself was not exactly sure what it was all about, sustained me throughout the most challenging moments. Your creativity and visionary take on the topics we discussed 10 Acknowledgements have inspired me to believe in the impossible. Tack så jätte mycket, Cissi, for all our insightful discussions, collaborations and – not least importantly, our laughs! Your constant enthusiasm for my project and helpful guidance in navigating the intricacies of academic life has meant a lot to me. As you have told me so many times before, I want to tell you now: you rock! I could not have wished for a more creative, passionate and supportive working environment than the Tema Genus department, sustained by a brilliant group of smart colleagues and friends. I want to thank you, Anna Adeniji, Anna Lundberg, Stine Adrian, Hanna Hallgren, Paula Mulinari, Malena Gustavson, Kristina Lindholm, Cecilia Åsberg, Robert Hamrén, Dag Balkmar, Linn Sandberg, Alp Biricik, Lotta Callerstig, Victoria Kawesa, Emma Strollo, Tanja Joelsson, Ulrica Engdahl, Anna Leijon, Pia Laskar, Magda Górska, Wibke Straube, Katherine Harrison, Monica Obreja, Ulf Mellström, Björn Pernrud, Stina Backman, Wera Grahn, Jami Weinstein, Berit Starkman, Anna Wahl, Margrit Shildrick, Jeff Hearn, Anita Göransson, Nina Lykke, Silje Lundgren, Line Henriksen, Marie-Louise Holm, Desireé Ljungcrantz, Tara Merhabi, Marietta Radomska, Helga Sadowski, Frida Beckman, Elisabeth Samuelsson, Roger Klinth and Anne-Li Lindgren. Thanks also to Ian Dickson, Eva Danielsson, Barbro Axelsson, Marie Arvidsson, Camilla Junström Hammar and Micke Brandt for technical and administrative support. The warmest thank you goes to you, Berit, for being the heart and soul of Tema Genus and, specifically, for helping me through the most difficult times, but also always being there to celebrate moments of joy! I want to say special thanks to those of my colleagues who became my closest friends during this time. Thank you, Monica, for your true companionship and encouragement, for our extensive discussions on sexual difference and unforgettable wanderings together through various cities and conferences. I’m so glad to have you in my life! Thank you, Alp, for our memorable Linköping times filled with long and fiery discussions on life and PhD life and life after the PhD. Your vibrant personality and sense of humour always makes me happy! Thank you, Victoria, for always being there for me with support and inspiring me with your fierce self-confidence and resilience. Thank you, Emma, for your friendship both inside and outside the university. I’m glad we got to be in sync on this journey! Thank you, Tanja, for your kind attentiveness and for offering your family cottage to me for a writing retreat at a time when I really needed to get away. I Acknowledgements 11 always found your work ethics so inspiring, something to look up to! Thank you, Magda and Wibke for your friendship and our discussions about the challenges of managing PhD studies and personal life at the same time. As a PhD student, I presented parts of this research at my 60% and final seminars. I want to thank you, Ulrika Dahl, for being a spirited critical discussant at my 60% seminar. Thanks also to my colleagues Alp Biricik and Wibke Straube who gave insightful comments at the seminar. I am most grateful to Anu Koivunen, whose critical comments and suggestions in the final seminar proved to be crucial for finalizing this manuscript. Warm thanks to Suruchi Thapar-Björkert, Marta Zarzycka and Anna Lundberg, who served as the committee for my final seminar and took the time to read and comment on my text. Thank you, Ericka Johnson, for kindly offering to proofread earlier versions of this thesis and Liz Sourbut, for your careful proofreading of the very final manuscript. Thank you, Anna, for translating the abstract into Swedish. During my time as a PhD student, I benefited immensely from various courses organized by the Nordic Research School in Interdisciplinary Gender Studies and the Intergender Research School in Interdisciplinary Gender Studies. I thank all the participants and teachers for inspiring lectures and discussions. I specifically want to thank you, Rebecca Walker, for sharing your passion for creative writing and encouraging me to find my own voice.