(Sydney) An Australian court has ruled that an art exhibition banned from men is illegal, provoking regrets from the artist who designed it, who said on Thursday that he was “saddened”.
The court found the museum had breached Tasmania’s anti-discrimination law and gave it 28 days to “stop refusing entry” to “persons who do not identify as women”.
Feminist artist Kirsha Kaechele created the exhibition Ladies Lounge (Ladies’ Lounge) at the Museum of Old and New Arts (MONA) in Tasmania, to protest against discrimination and the existence of long-male-only clubs in the country.
PHOTO JESSE HUNNIFORD, MONA ARCHIVES, PROVIDED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES
But last year a male visitor filed a discrimination complaint after being denied access to the “parlor” which features works by renowned artists and antiques.
The court ruled this week that because the plaintiff had paid an entrance fee of 35 Australian dollars ($31.25), he should be able to access all areas of the museum, including the Ladies’ Room.
MONA did not dispute the discriminatory nature of the show, but argued that the point of this “interactive installation” was that men did not have access to it.
Kirsha Kaechele had described the exhibition as a response to the bans on women entering certain places throughout history.
The name of the exhibition is a nod to the days when women were denied access to bars, before the 1970s, and had to sit in ladies-only lounges.
“I am deeply saddened by the court’s decision,” Ms.me Kaechele on Instagram. “I got a 28-day deadline. It gives me time to absorb the situation, receive advice and calm down.”