LOUDER THAN WORDS ART AND ACTIVISM

​

Half The Sky: Intersections in Social Practice Art

Luxun Academy of Fine Arts, Shenyang, China

2014 - 2016

 

THESE WALLS CAN TALK is an early iteration of CAN YOU SEE IT NOW? and addresses domestic violence. It alludes to domestic space by juxtaposing wallpaper with information on gender violence, video, and “don’t remain silent” stickers. The wallpaper design incorporates a number of common objects that are frequently used to inflict injury: fists, knives, belts, guns and irons. Conversely, the video presents famous world leaders including President Obama and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia reciting Jackson Katz’s 10 Things Men Can Do To Prevent Gender Violence.

 

The International Caucus of the Women’s Caucus for Art was invited by the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts in Shenyang, China to create an art-based cultural exchange and exhibition between artists and essayists. The exhibit/exchange, the first of its kind in China, illuminates how socially engaged art can affect values, attitudes, and institutions and references Chairman Mao Zedong’s famous statement that “women hold up half the sky."

 

Please note: the installation documentation below illustrates the video on a laptop. It is conceived to be viewed on a flatscreen TV mounted on the wallpaper.