In this first development of a broader series of works by Cooper & Gorfer, the artists assemble colossal female bodies in different states of transformation. Exploding from the frames that contain them, the figures become goddesses of monumental proportions.

The word Hysteria, functions as a magnifier for the artists, under which they explore female personas and the impact this word has had on women. Originally from Latin, meaning “of the womb” it was later coined as a psychological disorder afflicting only women. By imagining a state where women are all empowering, the artists re-induce the original meaning and positive connotation of Hysteria.

Inspired by the transformative powers of immortal goddesses in mythology and their use of power, magic, and vengeance, the artists build bodies that tower over the viewer. Cooper & Gorfer visualize these celestial bodies through collages of photography and painting. They experiment with personal accounts of vulnerability and how that manifests in the body. The figures are constructed using the surrealist game Cadavre Exquis, where the artists create a shared body by dividing it into two concealed halves – resulting in unexpected associations and proportions.

Breaking out from preconceived notions of femininity, the work is a bold declaration of the right of the female body to occupy space, both literally and figuratively. Loving, mystical and avenging, the giants of Cooper & Gorfer are a testimony of vulnerability and a force to be reckoned with.

Cooper & Gorfer comprises the artists Sarah Cooper (US, 1974) and Nina Gorfer (Austria, 1979). Known for their distinct hybrid portraits, their work focuses on the female aspects of cultural identity, exploring issues of memory, migration, dislocation, and the malleability of identity.

Cooper & Gorfer began their collaboration in 2006. They live and work in Sweden. Their artwork has been widely exhibited at museums including: Fotografiska New York & Stockholm, Hasselblad Center, Kulturhuset Stockholm, Museum Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt, The National Museum of Photography Copenhagen, American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis, and NOMA New Orleans Museum of Art, amongst others. Cooper & Gorfer’s work is included in private and museum collections. In 2018 they were awarded the German Photo Book Award for their monograph, I Know Not These My Hands (2017 Kehrer Verlag). Cooper & Gorfer are Hasselblad Ambassadors.