Tomaso Binga
During the historic performance Oggi Spose (Today’s Brides) in the 1970s, Bianca Menna definitively created for herself a male name and identity (Tomaso Binga) as a sign of protest against the inequalities that were typical of the man-woman relationship in the world of art and culture, too. In the installation in the collection, composed of three objects, Menna/Binga portrays herself in the dual role of husband and wife. In the invitation to the performance that gives the installation its title, the traditional wording “today spouses” is replaced with the feminine “today brides” to demystify the sexism implicit in the language as well. This work, moreover, targets the stereotyped symbolism connected to gender belonging: the woman is portrayed in a white dress, with a romantic and dreamy air; while the man, also interpreted by the artist, poses with a serious expression, surrounded by objects linked to the sphere of intellectual work.
During the historic performance Oggi Spose (Today’s Brides) in the 1970s, Bianca Menna definitively created for herself a male name and identity (Tomaso Binga) as a sign of protest against the inequalities that were typical of the man-woman relationship in the world of art and culture, too. In the collage in the collection, the word LOVE is first cut out in cardboard and then repeated on the side with photographs, also cut out, of a female body “folded” to compose the letters.
TOMASO BINGA (Bianca Menna) is the author of visual, sound and performance poetry. In the 70s she took male name as a protest against the inequality that characterised the relationship between men and women. She has participated in numerous solo and collective exhibitions, including the feminist shows curated by Romana Loda: Coazione a mostrare, Magma, Il volto sinistro dell’arte. Along with Verita Monselles she has realised exhibitions and performances: Litanie Lauretane, Poesia Muta, Ti scrivo solo di domenica, Materializzazione del linguaggio (Venice Biennale 1978). Among her recent solo shows are Autoritratto di un matrimonio, and the retrospective at the Federico J. Klemm Foundation in Buenos Aires (2006); Scritture viventi (2013); Zitta tu… non parlare (2014), Carta da parato 40 anni dopo (Galleria Rossana Ciocca 2015). She has directed the cultural association “Lavatoio Contumaciale”, which is involved in poetry, visual arts, literature, music and multimedia. *She was born in 1931 in Salerno, she lives and works in Rome.