The Pleasure of Looking. Judith Barry – Martha Rosler

The seemingly never-ending world of goods and consumption is seen as the engine of our economic system and thus the central anchor of our social order. But it also causes global inequalities, social upheaval, and environmental destruction. Two American artists, Judith Barry and Martha Rosler, understood this early on and use their art to address these precarious conditions. The presentation at the Study Center shows two of their video works from the Generali Foundation Collection. In these videos, they explore the connection between romantic desire and consumption, flawless advertising images, rigid gender roles, and exploitation.

The presentation in the Study Center features two video works from the Generali Foundation Collection: Casual Shopper (1980–81) by Judith Barry and Martha Rosler Reads Vogue (1982) by Martha Rosler. Both pieces critically examine the role of consumption, desire, and gender roles within a carefully staged consumer culture. In Casual Shopper, two individuals wander through a shopping mall—a space where desires are sparked but never fulfilled. Judith Barry portrays the act of looking as a form of consumption in itself, one that is self-sustaining and ultimately unresolved. In Reads Vogue, Martha Rosler dissects the fashion magazine as a symbol of global consumerism. With a sharp, critical eye, she exposes the links between hyper-stylized product imagery, reductive representations of women, and the exploitation embedded within the fashion industry.

Judith Barry (*1954) and Martha Rosler (*1943) are among the most influential voices in feminist conceptual and media art. Their works make visible the structures of power that shape our everyday lives—analytical, political, and visually precise.