A metaleptic approach to the representation of women in contemporary art: Historical metafiction

In contemporary art, the representation of women has become a prominent subject, influenced by historical and cultural contexts, gender equality, and identity politics. This study explores women's representation in contemporary artworks through the lens of historical metafiction, grounded in the theory of New Historicism. Emerging in the 1980s and influenced by poststructuralist thought, New Historicism challenges the objectivity of historical narratives, asserting that both history and fiction are constructs shaped by human interpretation. It suggests that these narratives extend beyond simple fiction, possessing an inherently self-reflective nature. As a methodological approach, 'historical metafiction' seeks to first unveil, then disrupt, and ultimately reconstruct the established voices within narratives to offer a more nuanced understanding of the past. By presenting alternative perspectives to official historical discourses, historical metafiction embodies the diversity of historical experiences. In response to the postmodern crisis of representation—which involves scrutinizing the limits of language, subjectivity, and sexual identity—historical metafictions provide a framework for women to redefine their identities and achieve their subjectivity. In this context, micro-narratives focusing on women, offer new definitions of 'reality'. The relationship between 'representation and reality' is thus reexpressed within a dialectical understanding of history that is non-linear, embracing disruptions and divergences, and encompassing marginalized voices. This thesis defines historical metafiction as an endeavor to challenge and rethink established norms by presenting a unique perspective on women's representation in contemporary art. Through this method, grand narratives that depict women as passive, submissive, and objects of male desire are deconstructed, revealing how such representations have historically been used to oppress, overlook, and silence women while simultaneously legitimizing the dominant social order. By highlighting that reality is a constantly evolving process, historical metafictions bring to light women's roles and experiences throughout history, disrupting male-centered representations and initiating a reconstructive process that places women's voices at the forefront of historical discourse. This thesis opens up to alternative/possible worlds in the struggle for transformation in women's representation, through contemporary art practices that reconstruct the past within the context of the present using the methodology of historical metafiction through dialectical images. From a perspective where 'reality and fiction' are interwoven, historical metafictions become a potent tool in contemporary art for reevaluating women's representation, contributing to cultural criticism and enabling social transformation, along the axis of gender equality.