Gender Representation in Media Art of Post-Soviet States in 1990-2010s (The Case of Estonia, Russia and Kazakhstan)

The central issue of the following master’s thesis is gender representation in the media art of the Post-Soviet states in 1990–2010-s. The investigated problem seems topical as far as gender issues are relevant at the moment not only in the scientific but also in the public discussion. Media art allows looking into issues of gender due to the specific features as a language of art. In the first chapter, we are looking into the notions of gender and media art and their history and definition. Also, we are trying to understand specific features of the media art and especially its original form of video art that gives the artists an opportunity to find answers to the questions concerning gender and do it in an unconventional way. In the second chapter, we are investigating gender representation on the cases of Estonia, Russia, and Kazakhstan that were chosen because of the way video and media art were gaining ground on the territory of the former USSR. In the frameworks of the thesis, we are trying to understand the way contemporary artists represent gender using the opportunities that media art gives them.