Ochre Frames

〈Ochre Frames〉 presents a speculative worldview where menarche is not just a physiological change but a ritualistic pop culture phenomenon transformed into visual memory. Before its arrival, individuals prepare a menstrual blood photographic kit, using their own blood as a substitute for the albumen in traditional albumen printing. Through light, shadow, and silver salt development techniques, this process creates an intimate archive of bodily experience. Menstrual blood carries taboo connotations across many cultures. Mary Douglas describes it as a "breach of boundaries," challenging bodily purity and social order. Folklore often attributes magical properties to menstrual blood—both protective and malevolent—yet these beliefs simultaneously reinforce notions of impurity, further marginalizing the female body. By presenting this taboo material in a public space, 〈Ochre Frames〉 exposes the political roots of stigmatization and challenges existing gender boundaries.