Ecofeminism in Art: From Ancient Goddesses to Contemporary Practice
Curator Tara Londi delves into ecofeminist art, positing that women were the original artists and connecting their bond with nature to themes of oppression and spiritual strength. In 2018, she was selected to curate 'All About Eve, Women As Nature' in Tehran, which aimed to tackle feminist and ecological themes amidst Islamic censorship; however, due to political unrest, the exhibition did not come to fruition. Her investigations culminated in the 2019 exhibition 'Gaia Has a Thousand Names' at Istanbul's Elgiz Museum. Londi draws on Marija Gimbutas's theories and cites artists such as Judy Chicago and Ana Mendieta. She criticizes patriarchal capitalism as the cause of the environmental crisis and highlights Rachel Carson's 'Silent Spring' (1962) as the catalyst for the initial environmental movement. Londi is currently authoring a book on feminist viewpoints regarding Earth's history.
Key facts
- Tara Londi was invited to curate a feminist exhibition in Tehran in 2018 titled 'All About Eve, Women As Nature'.
- The exhibition was never realized due to political conflict in Iran.
- Londi's research led to the 2019 exhibition 'Gaia Has a Thousand Names, An Eco-Feminist Exhibition' at the Elgiz Museum in Istanbul.
- The term 'ecofeminism' was coined by Françoise d'Eaubonne in her 1974 book 'Le Féminisme ou la Mort'.
- Marija Gimbutas's theories describe a prehistoric matrilocal 'Goddess culture' that lasted up to 160,000 years.
- Judy Chicago's 2019 work 'If Women Ruled the World' was presented at the Musée Rodin.
- Ana Mendieta's 'Silueta' series (1973-80) was inspired by Cuban voodoo rituals.
- Agnes Denes's 'Wheatfield – a Confrontation: Battery Park Landfill' (1982) is considered the first ecological art piece.
- Rachel Carson's 'Silent Spring' (1962) led to the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency in 1970.
- Londi is working on a book about ecofeminist art and ancient goddess worship.
Entities
Artists
- Tara Londi
- Judy Chicago
- Ana Mendieta
- Mary Beth Edelson
- Luchita Hurtado
- Pipilotti Rist
- Romana Londi
- Donna Huanca
- Agnes Denes
- Barbara Kruger
- Ambera Wellman
- Suzanne Husky
- Marija Gimbutas
- Françoise d'Eaubonne
- Silvia Federici
- Vandana Shiva
- Rachel Carson
- Walter Benjamin
- Georges Bataille
- Barnett Newman
- Linda Nochlin
- Toni Morrison
- James Lovelock
- Starhawk
- Andreas Malm
- Caroline Merchant
- Susan Bordo
- René Descartes
Institutions
- Elgiz Museum
- Musée Rodin
- Goldsmiths University of London
- CRAC Sète
- US Environmental Protection Agency
- Artribune
- The Signal House Edition
Locations
- Tehran
- Iran
- Istanbul
- Turkey
- France
- Spain
- Anatolia
- Babylon
- Egypt
- Ireland
- India
- Libya
- Lydia
- Russia
- Holland
- China
- Ionia
- Akkad
- Chaldea
- Scotland
- Abri Castanet
- Lascaux
- Battery Park Landfill
- New York
- United States