Ulrike Rosenbach’s artistic work has repeatedly addressed the role of women in society. The video Zeichenhaube and the photographs from the cycle fit within the scope of this theme. Here the artist references a medieval dress code according to which married women were required to cover their hair. With this concept as a starting point, Rosenbach created an array of different bonnets through which wearers can express their feminine identity. The bonnets in Rosenbach’s photographs serve no practical purpose; rather they assume a sculptural quality.
The accompanying video work documents the artist’s ‘closed-circuit action’ (see glossary) in the studio. Here Rosenbach stands in front of a photographic self-portrait, recreating her own pose and appearance, head similarly bandaged. Using a marker, she draws extravagant bonnets on a glass pane in front of her, giving the impression that she is adding this accessory to both her own head and that of the self-portrait. This quiet and meditative sequence is accompanied by excited bird calls.
