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Artist Married 11 Fake Husbands for Art
23 May
Summary
- Artist Vibeke Tandberg posed with 11 fake grooms for her 1993 'Bride' series.
- Her work subverted wedding traditions, centering the female identity.
- The photos were submitted to newspapers as real wedding announcements.
In 1993, Norwegian artist Vibeke Tandberg created the "Bride" photography series, featuring herself with eleven fabricated grooms. This project, initiated during her art studies, challenged conventional wedding photography by emphasizing the female identity and centering the bride. Tandberg deliberately chose men from bars in Bergen, Norway, to participate in the two-day shoot.
Tandberg's "Bride" series aimed to empower women, positioning her as the constant element among a rotating cast of grooms. She further subverted realism by submitting the images to 23 Norwegian newspapers as authentic wedding portraits. This deception led to widespread media coverage when exposed, launching her career.
The series, now exhibited at Kode Bergen Art Museum until September, reflects on the emotional impact of cultural institutions. Tandberg believes such a project would be a mere gimmick today due to diminished trust in media and the rise of AI. Her ongoing work explores characters and disguise, including mask-based art and early digital manipulation.
The artist also noted the unexpected emotional resonance of the "Bride" project for both herself and the participants. She maintains some contact with one of the 'husbands,' who is now her neighbor. The exhibition includes newspaper clippings detailing the deception.
