The Body Beyond Her

By Caitlin Abbott - Ecofeminist Photography Collection

Location: ex-Workingmens Club, 107 Cuba St

Dates: Opening July 19th, showing until July 25th, 9am-5pm daily

Property partner: The Wellington Company

This research explores how ecofeminism and architecture intersect, focusing on how both women and nature have been impacted by patriarchal, societal and built systems. It challenges the way architecture often reflects societal power structures and asks how design can become more equitable and ecologically sensitive by embracing ecofeminist values.

Photography was used as the main research method, offering a visual and embodied way to explore the deep connection between women and the natural world. Through images of 50 women engaging with nature - often in states of vulnerability and authenticity - the project aimed to reclaim space, challenge traditional norms, and highlight shared experiences. Inspired by John Berger’s idea that nakedness can express the self rather than expose it, the work presents the body as powerful and present, rather than passive or objectified.

Holding an exhibition that showcases the collective works, emerging from this photographic re-search, creates a dedicated space for female perspectives, providing a platform of voice, visibility, and meaningful dialogue. This body of work is not solely the product of a researcher, but a deeply collaborative process shaped by the participation of 50 women whose contribution and engagement are the essence of the research. There is a strong sense of responsibility and drive to give back to these women by honouring their involvement. An exhibition, particularly one that includes an opening night, serves as a acknowl-edgement of their integral role. It celebrates the strength, complexity, and empowerment captured in the images, offering the participants an opportunity to see their own power reflected back at them, while simultaneously grounding themselves in the overwhelming presence of woman-hood.

Held in the former Workingmen’s Club on Cuba Street, the venue provides historical and thematic alignment and juxtaposition with the exhibition’s exploration of social change and gender. This will be leveraged within the narrative of the exhibition using photography as both a journey and an exploration of space, encouraging viewers to reflect on perception, interpretation, and meaning. A strong visual presence of women and nature is central, aiming to leave a lasting emotional and intellectual impact. The spatial design will subtly reference gendered environments, such as domestic spaces, to reframe and critique traditional roles assigned to women. Initial contrast between the industrial presence of the space, and the natural settings and feelings within the images will hold great symbolism. Elements like furniture or washing lines will evoke domesticity, but with irony or subversion to prompt critical reflection (commenting on the historical function of the former Workingmen’s Club). These thematic choices add layers of symbolism and poetic meaning to the exhibition environment.