The Women Who Keep History Alive
Visual Arts 2025 Graduate ExhibitionPresentation by VENUS BAYAT
Exhibition Number 302
Abstract
In this photomontage, I aimed to demonstrate historical moments of women's presence throughout generations. By merging an old portrait documented by an unknown photographer in 1960 with a contemporary photograph I documented in 2024, I try to showcase the intersection of the past and present. Regardless of their historical context, I also emphasize how women have preserved, transmitted, and reinterpreted history. The old image includes the name of the studio and a handwritten note by my mother—both on the back of the photograph. I brought these elements to the foreground in the editing process to make them visible, emphasizing the essential role of women in preserving history. It also represents two layers of generational distinction: the old photo depicts a woman from the Silent Generation, while the new image represents a girl from Generation Z. Moreover, I planned to underline two invisible figures: my mother, who preserved the old photograph, and myself, as the artist attempting to keep this cycle alive. This artwork mirrors a traditional practice of women who protect collective memory. The methodology involves deciding on an archival photo, portraying a contemporary photograph, and creating a photomontage. This work contributes to photography as a historical record that brings women to the foreground. I aim to reclaim women's visibility in history. History has often been shaped by dominant power structures marginalizing or erasing women's roles. By visually layering multiple generations, I challenge that omission and highlight how women have always been central to the preservation and reinterpretation of history.
Importance
This photomontage explores the presence of women in history and their role in conserving memory. This work connects past and present by merging an old portrait captured by an unknown photographer in 1960 with a contemporary photograph I documented in 2024 and emphasizes how women have preserved and reinterpreted history. The old image contains the studio’s name and my mother’s handwritten note, both on the back of the photograph. By bringing these hidden elements to the foreground, I underscore the endeavor of women in documenting history. This work contributes to photography as a historical record serves as a method of reclaiming women’s visibility in history and aims to challenge the ways narratives are shaped and remembered.
DEI Statement
This artwork has contributed to DEI by addressing the historical marginalization of women in visual and archival representation. By visually layering multiple generations, I challenge the omission of women from dominant historical narratives and underscore their role in preserving and reshaping cultural memory, which is critical. This work also serves as a visual reclamation of women’s presence in history.