Curator’s note
This particular collection of short animations stems from my personal experience of growing up in a strictly gender segregated society, with a body and personality that does not particularly align with the binary expectations imposed on them. In my post-immigration era, I still question what boundaries I am allowed to push around, what is still considered ‘non-conforming’, and what is an acceptable gender expression in Finland.
While animation is rarely expected (or regarded) to be a serious medium of artistic discourse, I am very happy to come across films and video arts that help me facilitate a discourse of gender identities, sexualities, and exactly what discomforts the heteronormativity of contemporary times. I am honored to bring together this collection of animations, produced in their respective contexts, embodying the social reality of each locality.
I am surprised and equally delighted to see how differently artists imagine what ‘non-conformity’ and ‘subversion’ mean to them. The collection holds projects that are very direct and also those that veil themselves in ambiguity to navigate the restrictions of the reality they are situated in. This collection maps the boundaries of gender discourses artists feel safe to express within their social context. On a community level, I am delighted to bring all these artists together and make space for their voices in this window gallery of Kiss my ARS. These voices, together, create a tiny utopian pluriverse behind this glass window, where the conformities of a singular Western liberal understanding of ‘non-conformity’ get dismantled. I am also equally excited to present animated artworks outside of the ‘conformity’ of Animation Film Festivals.
I would like to end by expressing my gratitude to my collaborators for taking responsibility for the catalogue and the display, and also special thanks to Kiss my ARS for trusting animation as a serious medium and letting us take over the gallery with our silly little animations.
mreethmandir
26 July, 2026
Helsinki, Finland
26 July, 2026
Helsinki, Finland