Cult of Domesticity

19 October 2024 - 15 January 2025

Available by appointment only

NYC, NY

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To schedule visitation or for general inquiries please contact: info@lumka.com

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LUmkA is pleased to present The Cult of Domesticity, a group presentation showcasing the work of Ilayda Çelik, Ruby Chen, Nereida Patricia, and Eden Taff. Opening 19 October 2024, the exhibition, installed site-specifically to a bedroom, is accessible only by appointment.

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The American home, a construct of gender and family, was bred in the wake of the Industrial Revolution. As men left the house, women were left idle. To remedy such a hysteric case, Victorian society organized women’s roles into “The Cult of Domesticity.” This ethos of “True Womanhood,” served as a guide for the white and wealthy, encouraging piety, purity, submission, and domesticity. Isolating the majority from achieving such societal standards, “The Cult of Domesticity” attempted to preserve and perform white patriarchal power. 

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Yet, behind closed doors, a community and practice of mutual aid was formed. Women’s magazines carefully published articles that promoted feminist and emancipationist doctrines. Through print and needlework circles this privatized sphere evolved into a refuge for reclamation and subversion. Absent from man’s surveilling eyes, the home organized a space that propelled the Women's Suffrage and Abolitionist movements.

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Adolescent and adult American uterine bodies were born with more rights than today. Trending archetypes such as "Trad Wives" and "Soft Girl Living” are propelled by mass media, resurfacing ideas reminiscent of “The Cult of Domesticity.” State by state, bodily autonomy and gender-affirmation procedures are becoming increasingly inaccessible. Political representatives with no medical experience are now qualified to determine the fate of each uterine and feminine body. The condition of choice and self-determination is furthermore endangered. 

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Exploring what blossoms in a privatized space, The Cult of Domesticity presents works exploring gender identity and femininity through subversive practices. The exhibition uses the bedroom walls to inspire redefinition and reverence towards the uterine and feminine experiences.

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