Art against violence

Beyond 50% exhibition is in response to the growing gender inequality in our global communities. Elizabeth Broderick (Gender Equality Commissioner 2012), noted that violence against women is the key critical issue that is creating a barrier to gaining gender equality, in our society.

Feminist activism through art has played a key role in changing attitudes to gender inequality, with a long history including banner and quilt-making, printing demonstration posters, zine making, performance, yarn bombing and other activist activities that call attention to the gender inequalities in our society.

Beyond 50% explores the ways in which art can be used to influence cultural change, looking specifically at artists who seek to change the culture surrounding gender-based violence. It presents work by six international and Australian artists who identify as activists, craftivists, agitators and feminists.

For Beyond 50%, curator Felicity Martin (CACHE Curating) has brought together current and new work by Panmela Castro, a performance and street activist/artist living in Brazil; Ram Devineni and Dan Goldman, Indian film makers from the United States, who have created the Priya’s Shakti comic series, Melbourne craftivist Tal Fitzpatrick and local artists Catherine Gomersall and Aldona Kmieć.

​The exhibition also includes a community quilt project influenced by US collective FORCE Upsetting Rape Culture with participation by Women’s Health Grampians and the community.

Open from 7-24 March in Backspace Gallery, Art Gallery of Ballarat with access from Alfred Deakin Place, Ballarat

Gallery is open Thursday – Sunday 12-4pm

Image: Don’t weigh me down, 2019
Aldona Kmiec
Poem and installation
Installation view (detail)

Art against violence Aldona Kmiec Ballarat Art Gallery exhibition
Screenshot of a video clip by Panmela Castro

PUBLIC PROGRAMMING

International Women’s Day Morning Tea 08 March from 10.30am | Free event
HomeTRUTHS: Women Influencing Change

In conjunction with the exhibition the Art Gallery of Ballarat will present a special event on International Women’s Day with Kim McConville, Executive Director of Beyond Empathy will present the work on positive social change in our First Nations communities in rural New South Wales and will follow with the exciting launch of the limited edition book Tinder Machina by Catherine Gomersall.

​Exhibition drinks with the artists 09 March from 2pm | Free Event Meet the artists and add to our quilt project to support survivors

 

 

Video also features a snippet of Panmela Castro’s video piece on TV screen