Giulia Essyad

Giulia Essyad (*1992) explores the representation of the human body, particularly in works of popular culture such as the films Avatar and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or figures from Picasso’s Blue Period. Essyad specifically analyses the way in which the human body becomes the subject of discussion, transformation, celebration, and, at times, a battleground within the social online spaces that are dominated by a culture where image prevails. The colour blue applied to the body as a symbol of alienation and otherness is a recurring element in Essyad’s works, as is the motif of ‘Blueberry Inflation’, a transformation undergone by the character Violet Beauregarde in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, which has since garnered a worldwide fanbase. In this case, in Essyad’s work, the body and ist transformations represent a reclaiming of the body against the ideals of perfection imposed by consumer society. For example, in the work titled blueberry.inflation.v1.2 (2021), the artist’s body transforming into a juicy blueberry is not meant to reflect the moral warning of the film that originally inspired this metamorphosis but instead offers a tribute to a niche fan base that embraces and celebrates the opulent body in all its erotic and pleasurable glory. In the satirical science fiction work BLUEBOT (2021), a blue robot is the survivor of a past matriarchal society, in contrast to society as we know it today. Similarly, the work Familiar (2019) playfully addresses the appropriation of customs and traditions deemed exotic by colonial culture. The jury acknowledges the coherence and acumen with which Giulia Essyad addresses the theme of the body in her works, which range from performance to poetry and visual art.