Dominik Štrbo: Body, Gender, and Sexuality in the Imagery of Medieval Slovakia
The lecture will present medieval works from the territory of Slovakia through the lens of gender and queer theories, focusing on the body of Christ, the symbolism of the mandorla, and depictions of martyrdom as ambivalent scenes balancing between spiritual and sexual potential. The aim is to open new interpretive dimensions, highlight overlooked details, and create space for dialogue between classical and non-normative approaches to medieval imagery and visuality. The lecture is organized by the Painting Studio Delta.
Atelier 211
Hviezdoslavovo Square 18, Bratislava, 2nd floor
The word Middle Ages has faced—and continues to face—many layers of interpretation. It is seen as an age of darkness and strict morals, a period of spirituality and the ideal of chivalry, but also as the Middle Ages of the Gothic novel and its current pop-cultural “revival.” Emphasis on corporeality, gender, sexuality, and their visual representations is, on the other hand, usually attributed to antiquity, its Renaissance rebirth, and later to the sexual revolution and contemporary image production—thus overlooking medieval visual culture. Decades of research, however, have been challenging these divides and bringing new perspectives and reassessments.