The conversation about new ways of being from the masculine side is still rare. Concepts such as toxic masculinity raise questions about what it means to be a man today and what role one can play in the search for a more egalitarian society. At the same time, newer ideas such as non-binary gender or gender fluidity raise questions about the concept of masculinity itself and how relevant it really is. This project stems from a personal interest in trying to answer these questions.

The aim of Rethinking Masculinity from the start was to generate a series of elements that would help communication and diffusion to create a conversation around the concept of masculine gender roles and their current state. One element that emerges clearly as a common factor throughout research is the topic of emotional expression around male identity. The emotional limitation that accompanies stereotypes and male pressures, both internal and external, is identified as one of the pillars upon which the problem of hegemonic masculinity is built. The final decision was therefore to work on a number of pieces that would encourage introspection and would lead to questioning the limitations and contradictions of masculinity itself.

Innocent masculinity  

The first state refers mostly to childhood, a time when identity is still in formation and the child or young person acts on the basis of imitation of others. Thus, the chrome piece configures the stage of innocence, fully reflecting its surroundings; its sinuous shape refers to the malleability of the young identity.

Hegemonic masculinity

represents a rigid masculine identity, shaped according to the social pressures of the environment, but which, once constructed, presents an enclosure to possible changes. The Black 3.0 coat completely absorbs the surrounding light without reflecting its surroundings at all. Like the pattern of hegemonic masculinity, the shape of the piece is uniform, simple and well-defined, but its base is narrow: an aggressive modification to the environment or to the piece itself could jeopardise its balance.

Masculinity in crisis

is a stage that presents numerous contradictions, as there is an intention to change with respect to established masculinity, but it is complicated
to renounce the privileges it provides, as well as to look for new referents. The crisis is represented by a figure that is also uniform and well-defined, which even takes a form reminiscent of old patterns, but which nevertheless interacts with the environment in a particular way. The chameleon paint finish allows us to observe a series of colours that vary from greenish to pinkish tones depending on the angle of incidence of the light. It is thus a piece that allows us to reflect on a masculinity that wields old patterns but shows a desire for more individual expression and reacts to the changes in the environment.

New masculinity

is probably the most difficult to define. It does not attempt to give a concrete answer or a fixed pattern of what the masculinity of the future should look like. What it seeks to do is to provide a new vision of masculinity and gender in general: it is a state that is based on the individual’s introspection and self-expression, according to his or her unique identity, context and needs. While this action is individual, it is understood as a potential agent of social change, a personal expression that inspires the free expression of one’s environment. Thus, the luminous column represents this stage through a piece whose curve shows a deviation from the hegemonic pattern, the creation of a new path. The light in this case is radiated by the piece itself, reflecting colour as desired, thus generating changes in the surrounding light.