Introduction

My project "Through Medusa’s Eyes" is my artistic activism project focused on women’s safety. In this document, I describe how my artistic work came about and the choices and sketches I made along the way. It also includes my theoretical research and my exploration of existing, comparable projects. I explain why I chose this project and what I hope to achieve for both the project itself and for the future of my artistic practice. 

The topic of women’s safety has been addressed countless times in artworks and activist projects, but what the past two years have taught us is that projects on this subject are still all too necessary. In my personal life, I have faced more instances of sexual harassment in recent months and being able to channel that pain and anger into a work of art, with the goal of bringing about change, was reason enough for me to make this my graduation project. 

Artist

My name is Laurie Breukel, and I operate under my artist name Laurie Ann. I completed my bachelor's degree Cum Laude and with honors at the Academy of Pop Culture, where I specialized in music and visuals. As a singer, writer, and producer, I create music ranging from pop to soundscapes with spoken word. My visuals range from 3D- and interactive art in programs like Blender and TouchDesigner to self-filmed footage. Through talent trajectories like Up North and Grondslag, I have been able to further develop and share my artistic identity at among others, Noorderzon, Simplon, and the Grand Theatre. I applied for the Frank Mohr master's program in Media, Art, Design & Technology because it supports me in developing my interdisciplinary artistic practice. It provides the freedom to develop my own projects with the use of innovative art.

Artistic Practice

As an artist, I have always been interested in conveying a message to my audience, by using my art as a translation of an activist message. For my impact, I create art with the aim of providing recognition and/or insight to my audience. My previous projects dealt with grief and mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. These projects largely revolve around accepting the negative aspects of life. My visual album project "Everything will be okay. Maybe..." about accepting mental health issues, was my first project using art to start a conversation.

Impact and future

The goal for my artistic practice is to continue in artistic activism. I want to use my art as a way to share an activist message. In my eyes, art is a perfect way to generate attention for a societal issue. In my opinion, activism through art has both internal and external advantages. Internal, what advantage does art itself bring in conveying activism to the public? Art evokes emotions, making the theme easier to remember. Art can also bring a lot of clarification, as images, audio, or installations show the reality of the chosen subject. This makes it easier to understand or recognize. Art also has external benefits such as attracting attention. Easily accessible projects through a large social media network or large installations that are publicly displayed. Digital art receives a lot of attention in our society and is easy to share, which leads to even more attention. I am therefore motivated to engage more in artistic activism. For this reason, due to personal reasons and the global increase in attention to this issue, I have chosen the problem of women's safety to advocate for as an artist.