by Veronica Mognato and Ana Treviño
This article is about the shared experience of two visual artists that chose to collaborate on multiple projects. Their individual stories crossed in Austin, Texas, a city that has been hosting them for a few years, and were connected thanks to their similar way of seeing and living certain social mechanisms. Their first project embraces the concept of proxemics and how different cultures manage interpersonal spaces. The two artists come from different geographic zones and together, with the artwork At Arm’s Length, they analyze the dynamics of their arrival to Austin from the point of view of their interactions with others. Their second project is a work in progress. Through a series of questions directed to a certain group of women, the artists are questioning the meaning of the female’s body hair in our society. The focus is placed on these female subjects that made the decision to let their body hair grow full length. Through the statements of the interviewees, Ana and Veronica investigate what, for them, is one of the greatest limitations/dilemmas in accepting the female figure in its entirety.