Teeth Gums Machines Future Society2018

How do we define cultural, social, and emotional identity? What influences their creation? Throughout her entire oeuvre, the French artist Lili Reynaud-Dewar (*1975, La Rochelle) circles these questions, while at the same drawing upon the twentieth century?s artistic and social subcultures. One major element of Teeth, Gums, Machines, Future, Society (the name of her exhibition, performance, and catalogue) are so-called grills: dental jewelry made of precious metals. They are almost like holy relics in rap and hip-hop culture and have thus become status symbols. As a white, European, female artist who has adopted grills, Dewar not only confronts questions about cultural appropriation and its legitimation, but she also expands the theme to include the cyborg, as the blend of human, machine,...