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M+, Hong Kong, © Dara Birnbaum/EAI
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Mediatheque
Dara Birnbaum 達拉．伯恩包姆
Technology/Transformation: Wonder Woman 科技／轉化：神奇女俠
1978–1979
Opening with a jarring, repeated explosion, this video work by artist Dara Birnbaum repurposes footage from the Wonder Woman television series in a wry comment on mass media portrayals of women. Birnbaum’s editing technique—repeating short clips numerous times—renders actress Lynda Carter’s transformations into the superheroine as a restless cycle rather than triumphant narrative moments. The work closes with Birnbaum’s re-editing of the 1978 song ‘Wonder Woman Disco’, with scrolling lyrics on a blank background highlighting its suggestive content. Between Carter’s endless spinning and the song’s sexual implications, the work underscores how popular culture can trap women in roles and representations over which they have little control.
Initially trained in architecture, Birnbaum worked for the New York–based architect and urban planner Lawrence Halprin before pursuing a painting degree, and later video editing training. Exploring the parallels in architecture and media’s shaping of public space and social relations, Birnbaum frequently appropriates television footage and other popular imagery to critique the subtle power dynamics of mass media, often focusing on gender roles and women’s stories.
Initially trained in architecture, Birnbaum worked for the New York–based architect and urban planner Lawrence Halprin before pursuing a painting degree, and later video editing training. Exploring the parallels in architecture and media’s shaping of public space and social relations, Birnbaum frequently appropriates television footage and other popular imagery to critique the subtle power dynamics of mass media, often focusing on gender roles and women’s stories.
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