Monika Fabijanska Curates 'The Un-Heroic Act' Exhibition on Rape Representations in U.S. Women's Art
From September 4 to November 3, 2018, the Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery at John Jay College of Criminal Justice hosted an exhibition titled 'The Un-Heroic Act: Representations of Rape in Contemporary Women's Art in the U.S.' Curated by Monika Fabijanska, it featured works from twenty American female artists, including Kathleen Gilje, Carolee Thea, and Yoko Ono. Fabijanska's journey began in December 2014 after she saw Thea's installation. She focused solely on American artists, pointing out that one in six women in the U.S. faces rape. The exhibition celebrated generational and ethnic diversity, showcasing various visual styles, starting with Gilje's 'Susanna and the Elders, Restored with X-Ray.' It received positive feedback and engaged many students.
Key facts
- The exhibition ran from September 4 to November 3, 2018 at the Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- Curator Monika Fabijanska began research in December 2014 after seeing Carolee Thea's 'Sabine Woman' installation
- The show featured twenty American women artists including Yoko Ono, Ana Mendieta, and Guerrilla Girls
- Fabijanska limited the exhibition to U.S. artists after encountering taboos about discussing rape in American society
- The title references Susan Brownmiller's 1975 book 'Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape'
- Kathleen Gilje's 'Susanna and the Elders, Restored with X-Ray' opened the exhibition as a critique of male iconography
- The exhibition received favorable reviews in The New York Times, The Brooklyn Rail, Art Papers, Hyperallergic, and Bomb
- Guerrilla Girls BroadBand conducted a workshop with John Jay students that produced anti-rape culture posters
Entities
Artists
- Monika Fabijanska
- Karen E. Jones
- Erik La Prade
- Carolee Thea
- Kathleen Gilje
- Artemisia Gentileschi
- Elisabetta Sirani
- Yoko Ono
- Susan Brownmiller
- Charles Perrault
- Brothers Grimm
- Käthe Kollwitz
- Sonya Kelliher-Combs
- Senga Nengudi
- Susanne Lacy
- Ada Trillo
- Angela Fraleigh
- Roya Amigh
- Andrea Bowers
- Bang Geul Han
- Jenny Holzer
- Kara Walker
- Natalie Frank
- Lynn Hershman Leeson
- Ana Mendieta
- Jennifer Karady
- Naima Ramos-Chapman
- Guerrilla Girls
- Guerrilla Girls BroadBand
Institutions
- Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- The New York Times
- The Brooklyn Rail
- Art Papers
- Hyperallergic
- Bomb
- Weinstein Company
- Getty
- Los Angeles Police Department
- City of Los Angeles
Locations
- New York City
- United States
- Manhattan
- Bronx
- Ohio
- India
- Sri Lanka
- Sweden
- Los Angeles
- Rome