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100 real tampons on a stand, 1 sqm area and 1.7 meters high
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most tampons artistically treated (paint, glitter)
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Arrangement at different heights
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a floating, dense field
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calm at first glance, irritating in experience
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Price per tampon: 22€
The installation "10,000 Tampons" consists of 100 real tampons floating on transparent threads in space. A large part of them are artistically treated, while another part remains raw. The arrangement at different heights creates a decorative sculpture that moves between aesthetic calm and physical irritation. At first glance, the work appears reduced and almost calm.
As you get closer, the perception shifts: the material becomes tangible, the repetition intense, and the association physical.
This creates a field of tension between purity and disturbance, as well as invisibility and visibility.
The white tampons represent normality, that which is rarely discussed socially. For invisibility and infertility. The treated ones address individual experiences with one's own menstruation, but also the call to normalize or even celebrate menstruation.
In contrast, seven tampons soaked in real menstrual blood introduce a direct confrontation with physical reality into the work. The "glitter tampons" next to them appear humorous or caricaturesque. While aesthetization can serve as an accessible way to bring the topic into the public sphere, the underlying reality must also be shown. The menstrual blood was donated by Karen Leicht,
Embodiment mentor, as the artist herself has not menstruated for three years due to hormonal therapy in connection with health conditions.
