MY HAPPY PLACE

2024
The number of cases of domestic violence in Germany is steadily increasing. In 2022, authorities registered 240,547 victims of domestic violence, of which 157,818 cases were violence within partnerships – nearly 10% more than the previous year. This averages to 432 cases per day. Approximately 80% of the victims are women, and in the majority of cases, the perpetrators are their ex or current partners. The actual number of cases is likely much higher.

For her solo exhibition "My Happy Place," Julie Legouez transforms the Galerie Kollaboratib into a minimally furnished apartment. The two exhibition rooms are equipped with carpet, curtains, lamps, and some furniture, promising a semblance of a family idyll. The artist acquired the prototype furnishings from IKEA. The neutral greige, a combination of gray and beige, signifies the mundane averageness of the inhabitants. From afar, a small sign reading "My Happy Place" propagates cozy homeliness. The readymade, an object available in retail, questions the concept of home as a place of comfort where one can relax. But how safe is the home really?

In large letters mounted on the wall, the MALM bed frame declares, "Safety is just a word." Its dimensions (180 x 200 cm) correspond to the classic double bed. Just as one can find a product from the Swedish furniture conglomerate's range in every apartment, domestic violence can also affect anyone. It is as much a part of the societal norm as KALLAX or BILLY – and is by no means dependent on social, ethnic, or financial status.

Using photo transfer, Legouez printed stock photos of heterosexual couples on IKEA bedding. Some appear happily united, while others are evidently distant. Like large wall screens, the works alternately display sweet sentiments ("Home sweet home") and bitter truths ("There is no safe space"). Through their three-dimensionality, the images attain object status, confronting viewers vividly and forcefully entering their consciousness. The distorted typography in the characteristic colors of blue and yellow alludes to the distorted perception many individuals have regarding domestic violence.

The downward spiral of toxic relationships can be vividly experienced through the three VICKLEBY floor lamps. It begins with manipulative declarations of love, known as love bombing, expressed through promises like "It’s you and me forever." On the next lamp, manipulative and destructive words are written ("If you really loved me, you would do it" / "You are trash"). The final lampshade presents the flimsy excuses of the fictional perpetrator ("I did it ‘cause I love you"). Circulating around the objects induces a slight disorientation, illustrating the confusion experienced during emotional abuse. With humor and irony, Julie Legouez questions aesthetic and relationship concepts alike. Through the exhibition, she locates the phenomenon of domestic violence where it truly occurs: in the heart of society.

Text: Julia Meyer-Brehm

Exhibition view MY HAPPY PLACE at Galerie Kollaborativ, Berlin, 2024

SAFTETY IS JUST A WORD 2024
Installation consisting of BERGPALM bedding, photo transfer, acrylic on canvas,
MALM bed, HEMNES side tables, LAMPAN table lamps, STOENSE short pile rug, HILJA curtain rod, CD player, cuddle rock CDs
size variable

THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL OF EMOTIONAL ABUSE IN A RELATIONSHIP 2024
VICKLEBY floor lamp, acrylic
each 136 x 33 x 33 cm

FAVOURITE PLACE 2024
BERGPALM bedding, photo transfer, acrylic on canvas
80 x 80 x 6,5 cm

HOME SWEET HOME 2024
BERGPALM bedding, photo transfer, acrylic on canvas
each 40 x 80 x 6,5 cm

MY HAPPY PLACE 2024
KÄNGSLEBODA wall decoration
10 x 30 cm

THERE IS NO SAFE SPACE 2024
BERGPALM bedding, photo transfer, acrylic on canvas
80 x 80 x 6,5 cm

JULIE LEGOUEZ

MY HAPPY PLACE