(b. 1953) has for decades been a well-known name on both the American and international art scene. Her artistic practice reflects the intimate, the glamorous, and the authentic, while portraying life’s hardships: the dark, the mysterious, and the hidden. Her subjects are wide-ranging, yet united by a sense of closeness and intimacy that is difficult to ignore. In the project The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1983–2022), which marked her breakthrough, viewers encounter beautiful transgender individuals at parties in striking outfits and makeup, alongside several confronting self-portraits depicting her bruised face.

In this lecture, we will explore how intimacy emerges within Goldin’s artistic practice, and which visual strategies contribute to establishing the viewer’s trust in the scenes she presents. What effect does this intimacy have on the viewer as an individual on the one hand, and as a form of social critique and activism on the other?

Minka Salonen (b. 2000) is a Finnish-Norwegian art historian and literary scholar based in Oslo. She works with the mediation of both art and text, with a particular interest in photography and gender perspectives.

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In the Sunday lecture series, the museum’s own educators take a deeper look into artistic practices represented in the collection. The lectures focus on individual artists, art historical movements, or thematic threads. By highlighting perspectives that there is not always room for in a regular guided tour, the series offers an expanded view of the artworks and the contexts in which they exist.

The lecture takes place in the museum’s education space. Participation is included with the museum admission ticket (free for museum members).

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