Mon fantasme est un poison
Soft Opening
Women’s History Museum
Opens January172026

As part of Condo London 2026, Company Gallery (New York, NY) is presenting works by Women's History Museum at Soft Opening. In Mon fantasme est un poison, Women's History Museum's first solo show in London, they reflect on commodity fetishism, their own position within this social phenomena, and the dehumanization of women as a by-product. They use imagery and aesthetics from fetish photography from the 1800s to the present as a reference in a series of new mannequin sculptures and faux advertorial work.

Women's History Museum's new sculptures feature repurposed mannequins from the 1940s and 50s. All the mannequins with their built in heeled feet and wasp waists look like pin up girls. Some are wearing new garments and accessories by WHM made of mid century fabric, latex, bovine casino chips, brass, antique alcohol tokens, perfume nips, bobcat claws, porcupine quills, antique mother of pearl casino chips, poison labels, bobcat fur, and leather, amongst others.

Other mannequins are covered in ermine printed bandages alluding to contemporary mummification fetish. They are pierced with porcupine quills in some kind of naturalist needle play. Some have limbs made of buxom vintage perfume, poison, and medicine bottles. One mannequin wears a restrictive face mask made of vintage alcohol tokens.
The mannequin sculptures evoke a disturbed yet beautiful landscape. One of intricate and fantastical clothing but female figures depicted as restricted, suffocated and disembodied. They are made of bottles containing products that are intoxicating, habit forming and deadly.

There are three oversized signs that present the ecstasy, vagueness, sex appeal and abstraction of the female form in vintage advertising. They were shot between the two women of WHM -- Mattie as model and Amanda as photographer. Mattie's face and body are sliced and segmented into large strips like a car wash curtain.

Also, there are drawings and sketches by WHM of various garments and prototypes and a TV monitor featuring their fashion shows of yore. The latter more personal and historical works speak to a self reflexiveness and vulnerability in the show. Perhaps the work as a whole deals with the psychology of being a fashion designer itself. Of the masochism, pain and ecstasy of working with clothing. How the fantasy spirals into darkness when you realize your own connection as a cog in our capitalist hellscape.