Serena Fineschi on #MeToo: Art World's Power Dynamics

Artist Serena Fineschi (Siena, 1973), based in Brussels, offers a critical perspective on the #MeToo movement in the art world. She argues that #MeToo is not a movement of ideas but an attempt to convey the vastness of sexual abuse and break the silence, fear, and shame surrounding it. However, she believes a social media campaign will not change the systemic abuse of power. Fineschi emphasizes that harassment is daily and normalized, calling for education in respect and humanity. She notes that art history shows women's struggle against invisibility, and despite talented female figures in Italy and abroad, gender parity remains distant. She rejects gender quotas in art as arid and counterproductive, advocating instead for the neutrality of art and the centrality of artists regardless of gender. The article, curated by Santa Nastro, is part of Artribune's inquiry into #MeToo in the art world, following the Harvey Weinstein case and its domino effect on figures like Chuck Close, Mario Testino, and Terry Richardson.