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Activists protest at Arnolfini over exhibition on motherhood
A group of female activists targeted the Arnolfini on Saturday in a protest against the gallery’s exhibition on motherhood.
Women walked around the building naked with “milk machines” attached to their bodies in protest of the arts centre’s latest exhibition, Acts of Creation; On Art and Motherhood.
The protest was organised by Speciesism.WTF founder Stephanie Lane, an interdisciplinary female artist and filmmaker who said she wanted to call attention to what she described as the exhibition’s “inaccurate and skewed representation of motherhood”.
Activists from Speciesism stood outside the Arnolfini on Saturday to protest the exhibition on motherhood
“It does not include the experiences and sentience of nonhuman females, but rather only depicts a female cow as a commodity of the dairy industry, further perpetuating animal cruelty and speciesism,” she said.
The artist added that her intent wasn’t to shame the Arnolfini, but hoped the critique would allow them to collaborate with the institution to expand its exhibition parameters.
“As a female artist and mother myself, I have a profound understanding of the interconnectedness of maternal experiences across species boundaries, and how my privilege being born human has created a world where while our lived experiences as humans and those of nonhuman mothers may manifest in different contexts, there are striking similarities in the fundamental aspects of motherhood that transcend species lines.”
“This critique aims to enrich the institution’s narrative by promoting a more inclusive and compassionate portrayal of motherhood, without intending to shame the institution, but rather to encourage reflection and dialogue on the importance of representing the diverse experiences of both human and nonhuman mothers.”
Activists from Speciesism have taken part in demonstrations everywhere from Tate Modern to Grand Central station in New York.
The protest comes after the arts institution announced it was in “positive talks” with those affected after it cancelled events that were part of a Palestinian film festival in January, following widespread condemnation and artists boycotting the institution.
All photos: Calvin Tasker Photography
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