Off the beaten path
By Jess McCabe | 28 June 2009, 11:47
The curators of Off The Beaten Path, an exhibition of global art about violence against women in Oslo, have put the show online.
Obviously it’s not the same as actually being able to explore the show yourself, but still a good effort to make the exhibit more accessible. Well worth a look.
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Jennifer Drew said:
Just one glaring problem with this exhibition - who or rather which group are committing violence against women and children? Is it martians or is it women or is it just perhaps men?
I don't know and neither do I know why being born female apparently renders one inferior. Which group decided that female was inferior to male?
The exhibition doesn't enlighten me but it should do so because unless we know which group is committing violence against women we cannot possibly begin to challenge the endemic myths concerning male supremacy.
Or perhaps it is because categorically stating which group is committing violence ensures immediate claims are made of 'counter-sexism' etc etc because men as a group must not be held accountable for their violence against women. But, detailing the crimes men commit against women is fine as long as one doesn't mention that taboo word 'male.'
Naming the violence as male violence against women does not imply or even state that all men commit violence against women - but the phrase 'violence against women' tells us nothing, because we do not know who is committing the violence.
Would that every time a woman commits a violent act her sex is left out of media reporting but women unlike men are not accorded this privilege or luxury because society has to know whenever a woman/girl commits an act of violence. Men and boys however are anonymous because they are described as 'youths, young people, or just a couple of people attacked a woman etc.
Posted on 28 June 2009 at 7:29 PM
Charlie said:
Jennifer if you look through the exhibition and read the blurbs ad forewords as you go you'd know the answer to that. The exhibition looks at violence towards women from societies constant attacks on us as a gender through expectations, stereotypes and marketting, and again from persepctive of individual acts of violence perpetuated by other individuals of either sex. It comments on violence within the family unit towards female members, attack steeped in cultural traditions and again at violence stemming from politics.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention Jess. As a fine artist I take no small delight in getting to view exhibitions of this calibre online when I can not possibly get to them in real life (I'm in Australia). It is greatly appreciated.
In a manner I wish to see more exhibitions like this, yet given the reason such exhibitions exist I really don't. I wish there was no longer a cause for them. A hope looking forward perhaps, the exhibitions like this will die out due to no longer being relevant or necessary.
Posted on 29 June 2009 at 4:28 AM