In 2021, Elke Auer turned her attention to the toilet signs at the Kunsthaus Graz and used these everyday, often unconsciously perceived spaces for artistic interventions. With humorous, critical and pointed comments, she questioned classic gender images and the rigid separation of ‘male’ and ‘female’ in an artistic-interventionist way.
Auer's works were presented as part of STEIERMARK SCHAU, which focuses on civil society and artistic activism and movements – all those initiatives that initiate social change and have a long-term impact on the future. With her work, Auer links the Kunsthaus Graz as an exhibition venue for contemporary art with questions of social norms, gender roles and the impact of art in public and institutional spaces.
In this way, even seemingly everyday places such as toilets become stages for artistic reflection, encouraging visitors to think beyond familiar structures and sharpen their view of social dynamics.
