Kozyra, Katarzyna: Women's Bathhouse (1997)

In Hungary, Katarzyna Kozyra became famous by shooting a video in one of Budapest’s spas with the help of a hidden camera. In the pieces entitled Men’s Bathhouse and Women’s Bathhouse she investigated from a sociological point of view whether the behaviour of men or women is likely to change in an environment free from the other sex. "Women’s Bathhouse" and "Men's Bathhouse" begin with the premise that women tend to conform to stereotypes of behaviour and appearance in public, while in private they behave more naturally. In the end, the installation raises additional issues of voyeurism and narcissism, as well as concepts of beauty and aging. Both pieces were filmed at the bathhouses of the Hotel Gellért in Budapest, and both were filmed using cameras hidden in plastic bags and placed on or below benches in the bathhouses—without the knowledge of the participants. These installations have raised questions about the artist's intentions and the invasion of the bather's privacy. These are important concerns and should not be taken lightly, but it is interesting to note that, while the press considered them controversial, none of the subjects objected when the installations were exhibited. Kozyra feels the secret filming was the only way to observe public versus private behaviour. She concluded that women and men go to baths for different reasons. Women go for relaxation and companionship; they engage and assist each other in the intimate activities of washing, towelling, and drying. Men go to look and be looked at; there is little interaction between them. Scenes from the women's bathhouse are reminiscent of paintings of bathers by Ingres, Rubens, and Degas. There is a romantic quality to the film, played up by the warm yellow lighting on the bath. Aware of these references and her own tendency to see art in the women's bathhouse, Kozyra begins the film with Ingres's Turkish Bath. The installation consists of a main screen showing a four minute looped projection, and five monitors showing unedited footage.