Location: Casino Luxembourg - dummy with broken back and pins - 2010
This is not me is a selfportret. The dummies we see nowadays in shops represent usually the ideal body which is in fashion. We have seen the body of the dummy change in the past decades from a very feminine look to a more muscular look. You can see this back in society where not just a thin body, but a more trained body is ideal.
In all the work of L.A. Raeven, they try to set themselves as the new ideal. It is a useless war against oneself to battle for something which will never be real. Therefore the body of the dummy is deformed; she has a broken back and her upper body is shorter and bended, due to osteoporosis. She also has pins in her left ankle and hip. These are all deformities which are related to Angelique and Liesbeth deformities: to turn imperfections into a new ideal standard.
It is a painful image to watch but it makes you also realize the crazy beauty standards we try to follow…
This installation is made possible by the Mondriaan Fonds