She made an artwork that excluded men. A man sued for discrimination.
Article here. Excerpt:
'At the Ladies Lounge of Australia’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) on the island of Tasmania, only one man is allowed inside: a butler, who serves the women.
The lounge, a conceptual artwork, is decorated with Picassos and other expensive adornments and is separated from the rest of the museum with opulent green curtains. A staff member is posted outside to prevent the entry of any visitor who does not identify as a woman, and guests can indulge in a $325 high tea service featuring fancy finger food.
On Tuesday, one of those excluded men, Jason Lau, argued before the state’s civil and administrative tribunal that the lounge violated anti-discrimination laws by keeping him and the rest of his gender out. He submitted it should cease operating as it currently does.
Catherine Scott, a lawyer representing MONA’s parent company, told the tribunal in her written submissions that Lau’s exclusion was “part of the art itself.”
The American artist behind the lounge, Kirsha Kaechele, who is married to the private museum’s owner, told the tribunal that the practice of requiring women to drink in ladies lounges rather than public bars only ended in parts of Australia in 1970 and that in practice, exclusion of women in public spaces continues.'
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