Carmen Winant's 'The Last Safe Abortion' Exhibition at Minneapolis Institute of Art Highlights Clinic Labor Post-Roe
In August 2023, the Minneapolis Institute of Art unveiled Carmen Winant's solo exhibition titled 'The Last Safe Abortion,' marking a year since the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The exhibition showcases large photographic collages of reproductive health clinics across the Midwest, compiled over four years. Curator Casey Riley prompted Winant to capture new images in three specific clinics. The collages focus on clinic personnel in action, deliberately excluding scenes of protests or distressed patients. The exhibition's title echoes remarks from providers about delivering the last safe abortion in states such as Ohio and Indiana, where abortion access has been curtailed in 26 states and three territories. Winant's work engages with feminist art traditions while challenging anti-choice visual narratives.
Key facts
- Carmen Winant's exhibition 'The last safe abortion' opened in August at the Minneapolis Institute of Art
- The exhibition features collages of clinic images from the Midwest, including Minnesota, Ohio, and Iowa
- Winant gathered photos over four years from clinics, libraries, and historical societies
- The title comes from providers saying 'We will offer the last safe abortion in blank'
- The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, affecting abortion access in 26 states and three territories
- Curator Casey Riley encouraged Winant to shoot new photos in clinics in Ohio, Minnesota, and Iowa
- Winant aims to counter anti-choice visual propaganda with an alternative archive
- The work connects to feminist art like Mierle Laderman Ukeles's Maintenance Art Manifesto of 1969
Entities
Artists
- Carmen Winant
- Casey Riley
- Katrina Majkut
- Mierle Laderman Ukeles
- Chantal Akerman
- Bill Clinton
- Ronald Reagan
- Wendy Vogel
- Barbara
Institutions
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- The Print Center
- National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- Women in Transition
- Vanity Fair
- Lewis-Clark State College
- Rochester Contemporary Art Center
- Planned Parenthood
- PBS Frontline
- Reproductive Health & Counseling Center
- Parsons School of Design
- Andy Warhol Foundation
- U.S. Supreme Court
Locations
- Minneapolis
- Minnesota
- Philadelphia
- Pennsylvania
- Ohio
- North Dakota
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Idaho
- New York
- Houston
- Texas
- Bruxelles
- Belgium
- United States