BLACK VENUS

The Black Venus (Rotterdam, 2004) is an augmentation of the Venus Medici. This work confronts patriarchal power structures embedded in ancient art while grappling with European colonial legacies and migration. A pristine cast of the classical statue—long celebrated as an ideal of white beauty—comes alive through a video projection of a Dutch-Caribbean woman dressed for Rotterdam Carnival. Perfectly mapped to the statue’s proportions, this fusion exposes tensions between the canon’s timeless allure and its exclusionary roots, challenging viewers to reconsider how historical ideals frame identity and belonging. As part of the Lovedolls series, The Black Venus underscores that these celebrated sculptures, pale relics by today’s standards, become active participants when animated by media technology, revealing hidden narratives and unsettled histories. The Black Venus is part of the Lovedolls series.