The lecture Penis/Phallus/Dildo will give an overview of the different uses of the male sex organ in the arts since 1970. The focus will be on the penis´ role as a symbol of masculinity and how it is de- or reconstructed by artists. How do women artists deal with this sign of potency in the post-phallic age? Based on the thesis that the invention of Viagra at the end of the 1990s represented a paradigmatic change in the understanding of male potency, the lecture examines whether the penis continues to function as a symbol of phallus and power, and what influence the idea of controllable male sexuality has on ideas of artistic creativity. The theoretical function of the dildo as a penis substitute will be discussed and shown. How it is used as a critical “tool” by feminist artists.

Änne Söll is Professor of Modern Art History with a focus on cultural and gender history at the Art History Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum since 2016. Her research focuses on 20th and 21st century art with a focus on gender issues, affect research, fashion, magazines, video art and photography. Her habilitation on masculinity in the portraits of Otto Dix, Christian Schad and Anton Räderscheidt was published in 2016.

Entrance 4 Euro. Reduced 2 Euro. Members are free.

The programm is part of the exhibition Maskulinitäten. Eine Kooperation von Bonner Kunstverein, Kölnischem Kunstverein und Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen, Düsseldorf (September 1 – November 24, 2019).