Here, Marlene Dumas has manipulated a photograph from a 1960s nudist magazine as an ironic commentary on group shows, which, according to Dumas, get in the way of really looking at art. At the same time, she denounces the male gaze in art. Nude figures indifferently turn their buttocks to you: as if you were staring at the back of a painting. They themselves witness a spectacle invisible to the viewer. [text 2023]

Dumas’ paintings are mostly inspired by photos and images she takes from anywhere and everywhere. Dumas manipulates them to create her own work of art: she distorts, intensifies, selects and chooses colours at her own will. By giving the painting the title, Dumas adds an extra twist to its meaning. This is also illustrated by Groupshow. The theme seems to be that even in solo professions, such as visual artists, one must at some point take part in group activity. Dumas’ statement is ironic: the figures all face away from the viewer, showing their bare behinds – as if Dumas is presenting the viewer with the back of the painting.