SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT OF YOUNG FEMALE ARTISTS IN THE DIGITAL CONTEXT

Text topic: Art

Text author: Татјана Николић

Young women take more and more significant place in online space using all the benefits of the creative features of Internet and digital media. Even though gender inequality is possibly even more present in the online space comparing to the offline, digital environment also stands for a platform for (artistic) expression and an arena of the tension between attitudes, tastes, expressions and ideas. New generations of female authors in the local and regional digital context (could) precede, inspire and lead with their authentic critical thinking and production. This text examines if, to what extent and how young female authors use their artistic production, especially their digital platforms, for expressing social and political opinions. We were particularly investigating their understanding of feminism and gender (in)equality, as well as their experience of discrimination and sexism. The article is based on the individual interviews with selected female authors of the younger generation, through which their attitudes, values, critical artistic production, messages and narratives, as well as reactions to the global crisis and social problems were investigated. To the certain extent, the article also reflects on their content on digital communications channels (web sites, Facebook profiles and pages, Instagram profiles and other platforms for digital creativity and distribution of artistic content). This pilot research included eight female artists active in different artistic and creative fields in Serbia: visual and applied arts, music (popular and contemporary experimental), film, literature and performing arts. A particular topic that marked the social context of the first half of 2020 when the research was conducted, has been the pandemic caused by the virus covid19, as well as emergency state and isolation that came as a consequence. Additionally, context of their production, activism and life is marked by sexism existing in media, online as well as offline public space.