Mulieris magazine: feminism and art between the pages of a magazine

They are all women, they are all young and all have been trained and work in the art world and it is precisely here that a sense of frustration arises in them, but also a need for awareness and change. 
Their names are Greta Langianni, Sara Lorusso, Chiara Cognigni and Alice Arcangeli, respectively founder, co-founder, art director and illustrator of Mulieris Magazine, a magazine in some ways uncomfortable, but that screams truth on every page. Yes, because we discover, reading it, that the world of art is still crossed today by profound gender disparities, a reflection of a society in which if you are a woman you still risk being considered a second-class human being. 
On the occasion of the launch of the second issue of Mulieris, dedicated to the theme of shame, we asked Greta, Sara, Chiara and Alice to tell us about this magazine that wants to become the manifesto and voice of a new generation of donnx and creativx. 

How was it born and what is Mulieris' goal?
Mulieris was born in March 2018 by young creatives who were in university, who had just finished it and who just started. It arises a little from a feeling of displeasure, feeling young and full of desire to do things, but with few possibilities. Mulieris wants to help young creatives in the world of art and open the doors to collaborations and job opportunities. We want to remember that being creative is a job. Our team is then completed with the need to reach the world of independent publishing.

How would you tell the magazine to those who don't know it?
Mulieris is definitely a journey through the works of artists from all over the world, it contains intimate, personal and reserved stories. It is nice to think that each participant entrusts us with a piece of them, of their life and experience. We have decided to expand the numbers with editorials, columns and focuses on key topics in the life of each of us, topics that are often not dealt with or are kept in the background for socio-cultural reasons. We could compare Mulieris Magazine to a magnifying glass that brings to light hidden themes and treats them with great sensitivity and respect.

Why have you created an all-female team?
The creation of Mulieris was a consequence of needs. On the one hand, the need to create a save place for young artists, therefore equal opportunities and a work environment without discrimination that seemed increasingly difficult to meet elsewhere; on the other, we have a need for comparison and support from an artistic and friendly point of view.
Mulieris was born as a showcase for female artists and anyone who identifies with the genre, it seemed right that our team was consistent with our project but it was also very spontaneous. We also want to clarify that ours is a fluid choice, we are always open to new ideas and proposals and our platform wants to be open to the voice of any minority.

In the pages of your magazine you deal with important and busy topics, sometimes taboo (like masturbation), other uncomfortable like the denunciation of gender disparity from the point of view of the creative professions. What were the main obstacles you encountered in bringing them back to the reader?
The project of our magazine was born because we are firsthand creatives who have found disparities in the sector. The British Journal of Photography reports that 70-80% of photography students in the world are women, but only 13-15% of women actually work as photographers. Almost no one is aware of this and this is where mulieris comes into play: showing the world of work as it is, that is, not equal. This is perhaps the main obstacle that we have found, the fact of having taken sides, of speaking for the women (we want to give a voice to all the cis - trans and non-binary minorities). We should detach ourselves from the idea that if you take sides then you become irremediably extremist, we only want equal opportunities for everyone.

The second issue of Mulieris is dedicated to the theme of shame. What is shame for you and why did you feel the need to talk about it?
The idea of the subject of shame was born during an exchange of ideas, we meet (when we still could) and each of us presents papabili topics to be discussed. Greta proposed shame and convinced us right away. We believe it is a sensation that penetrates you and once you have tried it you will remember it almost forever. We were often told to be ashamed: "get composed at the table, be a young lady, you make me ashamed, where are you going in that short skirt? - or even - she should be ashamed to go out with so many guys, what will people think of her '' .
One thing we have found is that shame is not part of us from birth, indeed it is often others who make us feel it and most of the time unfairly.

How did you select the creatives hosted in this edition?
First of all we open an open call in which each artist is free to send a project or a project idea to be developed together and then at the same time a part of the team takes care of contacting and choosing the artists who we believe are most in line with the theme. . The creatives are often artists we already know or appreciate on social media. We certainly believe that the research process is one of the most stimulating parts of Mulieris' creative process, because we meet so many new people from all over the world.

Ritual question: why a print magazine in 2021?
Despite this period full of problems and difficulties, we have decided to pursue our goals, including the production of our paper edition, a timeless product that we see eternal in the libraries of our readers. In a world where everything is now digital and momentary, we like to think that Mulieris is a permanent project, printed on paper and preserved with love.