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Australian Museum Faces Lawsuit for Artwork That Men Cannot Enter
ARTnews ^ | March 21, 2024 | Francesca Aton

Posted on 03/22/2024 3:37:22 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) is facing a lawsuit for exhibiting an artist’s Ladies Lounge installation that only allows women to enter the installation.

The installation by Kirsha Kaechele refers to a moment in Australian history before women won the right to drink in the nation’s pubs in 1965. Until then, women were either relegated to side rooms, where they were charged exorbitantly, or barred from these kinds of establishments altogether.

Intended to point out the hypocrisy, the Mona installation offers an opulent retreat for female guests only with champagne served by male butlers. The exhibition also features some of the museum’s most notable works by such artists as Picasso to Sidney Nolan.

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At least one visitor, however, has not taken kindly to show. New South Wales resident Jason Lau is suing the museum for discrimination. While visiting Mona last April, Lau paid $35 AUD ($23 USD) for a museum ticket, but he could not view Ladies Lounge. He claims it breaches the state’s anti-discrimination act.

Though the museum agrees that the show disallows certain visitors from entering the installation, a spokesperson argued that Lau experienced the work as intended.

“Part of the experience is being denied something that is desired,” Catherine Scott, Mona’s counsel, told the Mercury, a local publication.

The law allows for discrimination, Scott said, if “designed to promote equal opportunity for a group of people who are disadvantaged or have a special need because of a prescribed attribute.”

Lau then argued that section of the law was intended to allow for “positive discrimination” and not “negative discrimination.” He is fighting to either have the lounge closed or start admitting men. Additionally, he has said that men should have to pay less for a ticket than women.

Tribunal deputy president Richard Grueber is reserving his decision for a later date that has yet to be decided.

Though Kaechele has indicated that she would take the case to the supreme court if necessary, she pointed out that shutting down the work would only further the point of the work itself, telling the BBC, “If you were just looking at it from an aesthetic standpoint, being forced to close would be pretty powerful.”


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Education; Local News
KEYWORDS: australia; donatefreerepublic; joindu; seeme; tasmania; trollknowsnothing; trollsknownothing; weseeyou
Don't change it on my account. I'm fine not going in.
1 posted on 03/22/2024 3:37:22 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

Only western culture does this nonsense.


2 posted on 03/22/2024 3:49:10 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: nickcarraway

Liberals always become what they pretend to hate.


3 posted on 03/22/2024 3:55:30 PM PDT by aimhigh (1 John 3:23 "And THIS is His commandment . . . . ")
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To: nickcarraway
On the door to my man cave I have a sign which says No Wimin Aloud
4 posted on 03/22/2024 3:58:29 PM PDT by ComputerGuy (Heavily-medicated for your protection)
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To: nickcarraway
Men can’t enter the artwork? Would they want to? Are there realistic sculptures of lady parts? Is it a Georgia O’Keefe exhibition?


5 posted on 03/22/2024 4:03:51 PM PDT by Apparatchik (Русские свиньи, идите домой!)
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To: nickcarraway

Revenge never works out. “Getting even” for past wrongs is unjust and never achieved anything but animosity. As has been said, when you seek revenge dig two graves.


6 posted on 03/22/2024 4:12:42 PM PDT by Seruzawa ("The Political left is the Garden of Eden of incompetence" - Marx the Smarter (Groucho))
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To: ComputerGuy

Yes, my wife gave me one too, and it has something about the “He-Man Woman-Haters Club” led by Spanky from the Little Rascals painted on it...:)


7 posted on 03/22/2024 4:17:50 PM PDT by rlmorel (In Today's Democrat America, The $5 Dollar Bill is the New $1 Dollar Bill.)
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To: aimhigh

I think they already are.


8 posted on 03/22/2024 5:24:19 PM PDT by Savage Beast (Pray for the Enlightenment of the Democrats.)
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To: aimhigh

Indeed.


9 posted on 03/22/2024 5:24:52 PM PDT by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: ealgeone

Sadly.


10 posted on 03/22/2024 5:25:01 PM PDT by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: nickcarraway

“If you were just looking at it from an aesthetic standpoint, being forced to close would be pretty powerful.”

Classic leftist mentality—even when they lose they claim victory.


11 posted on 03/22/2024 5:26:59 PM PDT by cgbg ("Our democracy" = Their Kleptocracy)
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To: nickcarraway
“Part of the experience is being denied something that is desired,” Catherine Scott

This sounds like Python skit.

12 posted on 03/22/2024 5:29:51 PM PDT by HonkyTonkMan ( )
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To: cgbg

Is there any proof that ANY man in the world wants to see this?


13 posted on 03/22/2024 5:29:55 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

Intended to point out the hypocrisy, the Mona installation offers an opulent retreat for female guests only with champagne served by male butlers. The exhibition also features some of the museum’s most notable works by such artists as Picasso to Sidney Nolan.


Slaves don’t want to be free, they want to be masters.


14 posted on 03/22/2024 5:58:00 PM PDT by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
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To: nickcarraway

From the article: Intended to point out the hypocrisy...
_____________

Which was rectified almost 60 years ago...


15 posted on 03/23/2024 3:41:20 AM PDT by Chicory
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