Not sure if this was already posted.
The article describes the referenced court case, and the artist’s views and intentions.
Personally, I both loved and hated the idea at first. The more I think about it, the more I find it valuable in some way.
Kaechele’s husband, David Walsh, founded and owns the MONA.
The artist is lambasting exclusive Mens social clubs
Exclusive men’s social clubs have existed all over the world, including Canada, and particularly thrived in the 19th century. These exclusionary clubs often only accepted white members and barred women from entering the space, apart from when in service roles.
But if she was doing that truly, then it should have been only available to minority women. But she didn’t. She also ignores there are a lot of women only exclusive clubs too, just ask any male victim of sexual assault looking for a support group.
This isn’t some groundbreaking work, it’s just sexist. The artist is tedious.
I’ve got a great idea for an exhibit to teach men about rape.
Die in a fire.
Oh I’m sorry, are you not in favour of forcing people to experience things they know are wrong because how else would they know it’s wrong unless we inflict it on them?
If you agree with the gallery and artists intentions, surely you must agree with me applying the same logic to other social issues.
Makes sense. Having a ladies only exhibit that only shows women artists is a positive thing. Not allowing certain visitors into a museum because of their gender is sexist.
The museum this exhibit is at only allowed men until 1965. Today, there’s a single, temporary exhibit within this museum that’s only allowing women, with a stated intention to make people reflect on that previous time. That this single exhibit draws international attention speaks volumes to the reality of sexism in western society, and it’s not the sexism you’re talking about
It wasn’t right in 1965, and it isn’t right today. Creating inverse discrimination to draw attention to historical discrimination is still a form of discrimination, even if it is temporary.
This was just a poorly executed concept that could have been done better.
The fact that it’s not right is the point. That people across the entire planet are talking about this Australian art exhibit and sexism demonstrates this exhibit was executed really well
Agree to disagree then—we’re both entitled to an opinion, as is the way with art.
The execution left me with a negative impression of the event, and has not really broadened my awareness. I hope it had its intended impact on others so it isn’t a total wash. I’m glad you found it more inspiring than I did.
Especially with the context that Australia didn’t allow women in pubs with men until 1965 so women there were literally sent to “ladies lounges,” which were apparently always some shitty side room, that sometimes would sell them a drink (at higher prices) while they waited.
Turning that on its head as a temporary exhibit at a museum is clearly art to me. It’s not like she did it as a business concept to make money.
If it’s art, it’s pretty childish art. “Revenge” is not useful nor healthy.
In his complaint, Lau argued it is discriminatory to keep artwork, like that of the Picasso painting displayed exclusively in the Ladies Lounge, away from he and other men who pay to enter the museum. (…) He’s asked for an apology from the museum and for men to either be allowed into the lounge or permitted to pay a discounted ticket price for the museum.
Kaechele and lawyers for the MONA rebutted by saying the exclusion of men is the point of the Ladies Lounge exhibit. “The men are experiencing Ladies Lounge, their experience of rejection is the artwork,” Kaechele told the Guardian. “OK, they experience the artwork differently than women, but men are certainly experiencing the artwork as it’s intended.”
This is going to be much trickier than it seems based only on the headline. Both anti-discrimination laws and the freedom of art are very fundamental rights, and a decision that weighs these against each other will not be easy to reach (at least I would think so). Curious to see how this lands, although I expect that the museum will come out on top, because the disadvantage that this special exhibit poses to the man (the museum would even argue there is none) is probably not big or permanent enough to justify a restriction on the freedom of art as big as this would entail (and I guess the museum probably discussed this with their lawyer beforehand).
I disagree, I think it’s pretty clearcut discrimination. The museum has to give men the same treatment as the women when they buy the same ticket, and if they buy different tickets then the men need to be given the option to buy a women’s ticket. Only in that last circumstance could this have any chance in court against a discrimination lawsuit.
Personally, I both loved and hated the idea at first. The more I think about it, the more I find it valuable in some way.
Thanks you for saying so and spending time thinking about this. The way I see things, the point here is to take a glance at how systemic sexism works through an art exhibit. That is, if you dare.
Other examples that would illustrate what I mean in relation to systemic sexism, would be:
- It is not sexism if a dude is not allowed in a lesbian bar. They are a minority group, and just want to do their thing.
- It is sexism when a woman is refused to apply for a grandmaster chess tournament because of tradition/culture/etc.
We live in a world that women are still not allowed participate in these tournaments.
[edit: the strikethrough, cause apparently it’s not the case. There are women tournaments (only for women) and open ones (open to all). I think the example still stands, as an illustration to what I meant]
ITT: some angry ass men who have missed the point. Lol.
Weird how sexism is okay if it’s against men.
Would you have the same reaction if women got mad about being banned from an art exhibit?
Not if it was an exhibit about misogyny…
You are so eager to be a victim you have deliberately missed the point. Poor men.
Not if it was an exhibit about misogyny…
I don’t believe you, but ok.
You are so eager to be a victim you have deliberately missed the point.
Lol. That’s ironic coming from you.
Poor men.
Imagine if I said the same thing about women. Would probably get my comment removed, haha.
You don’t believe the entire artwork was about misogyny? Talk about woosh
The art clearly worked well, since you’re outraged
You could say the same for Nazi cartoons then.
Art, uh?
Oh boy, comparing feminism to nazis. We’ve gone full reddit
Or you know, calling out sexism and racism for what they are. You are welcome to consume the “art” of these groups if you think so, apparently being outraged by it is a good indicator that the “artist” did a good job
Sad troll.
Performance art is wild, often misunderstood. The entire point is to outrage men and he took the bait lol. The artist is clearly getting off on this, staging shit in even more locations because of the lawsuit.
Weird. I can easily see someone doing the same thing but banning women and you wouldn’t say “they took the bait” when women get mad about it.
So sexism is outrage performance art now?
Men like this always deliberately misunderstand because they are addicted to outrage and misogyny.
Men like this implying me? God you really are incapable of thinking for yourself. I am not addicted to outragw or misogyny in fact i despise both i very strongly beleive in equallity and cant see how calling objective inequallity what it is is outrage or mysogyny. Please explain how its mysogynous to hate hate ineguallity?
