Female figures become furniture: a new art performance by Bianca Censori

Australian architect Bianca Censori, known for her bold imagery and publicity, as well as her marriage to Kanye West, recently debuted as a performance artist. Her first show, BIO POP, was held this week in Seoul, South Korea, to considerable acclaim.

The 14-minute performance was divided into two parts, during which Censori did not utter a word. For the first nine minutes, she depicted the process of baking a cake while wearing a bright red latex suit and moving around the kitchen. The action then moved to the living room, where the scene was radically transformed by a projection made by Censori herself. The centerpieces were curved furniture that followed the contours of her body.

The objects took the form of medical tables and BDSM equipment, some of which were covered in sheepskin or had supports, while others resembled figures in submissive poses. It is this aspect of the work that has caused much controversy among viewers.

The artist’s website states that BIO POP “places the body in the context of everyday language.” The cake baked during the performance and brought to the table symbolizes the tension that exists in the kitchen as a source of labor and ritual, reinterpreted in the context of the show.

The work raises issues of power, dominance, and the female body, but Censori’s personal attitude to these themes remains unclear. Many viewers have noted that the objects in the performance resemble the works of artist Allen Jones, particularly his scandalous 1969 series, in which female figures were used as furniture. Such a comparison has provoked mixed reactions.

BIO POP is only the first of seven performances planned for the next seven years. Over time, viewers will better understand the meaning of this series, whether as a provocation, a rethinking of everyday life, or something else.