Tracey Rose

This photograph depicts a representation of Ilona Staller, a Hungarian-Italian porn star, singer, model and later politician. The title is the name of her onscreen persona, meaning ‘little chubby girl’. Dressed as Cicciolina, the artist reclines on the hood of a fancy sports car, wearing exaggerated props as her exposed vagina and breasts. She is presented as an image of uninhibited sexual expression from a pornographic magazine. Rose complicates the connection between sexual and political promotion.

Cicciolina was elected to Italy’s parliament as an MP for the Radical Party in 1987. As a politician, she actively campaigned against nuclear energy and NATO membership. Later, she established her first political party- the Party of Love – and ran for local office several times. Her second party – Democracy, Nature and Love – consolidated her political views, advocating for the legalization of same-sex marriage, minimum wage for the youth and the removal of privileges for wealthy elites. Cicciolina challenges prejudicial views cast by conservative society on women who enjoy their sexuality.