Cindy Sherman, Laurie Anderson, Jenny Holzer. Some of the greatest contemporary artists, famous gallery owners and exhibition curators have joined their voices with more than 7.000 women to denounce sexual harassment in the arts.
"We are artists, art critics, directors, publishers, students, gallery owners, researchers, practitioners and academics working in the field of contemporary art and have suffered deafness, humiliation, harassment, contempt, threats and intimidation ", They write.
The letter is entitled "not surprised" in reference to the work "abuse of power comes as no surprise" by conceptual artist Jenny Holzer.
The initiative was started by a discussion group of about five women and quickly spread to more than 100 participants around the world, in a reaction to the resignation last week. Knight landesman who was co-editor of the magazine ArtForum, one of the most authoritative in the field of art.
Landesman is accused of sexually harassing in a lawsuit filed in New York State by a former ArtForum employee, Amanda Schmitt, who also refers to allegations of sexual harassment against eight other people.
Landesman is the new strong personality accused of his abusive behavior against women, in its aftermath.
"It is urgent that we share our testimonies about the sexism that is now seen as a common phenomenon, the unequal and inappropriate behaviors and the sexual harassment that we experience on a regular basis, generalized and intense. A resignation from an internationally renowned contemporary art magazine does not solve the problem nor its fraudulent nature and scope: that of a professional space that perpetuates fragile power structures at the expense of ethical behavior, "insist women. -ές ».
"We call on the arts organizations, the cultural authorities and all our colleagues to seriously ask how they have played or could have played a role in perpetuating gender inequality and the above-mentioned abuses and, above all, how they intend to manage these problems in future.
"The Harvey Weinstein case has paved the way for similar cases in many other places," and after Landesman's resignation, "we realized we all had that kind of experience," said Martha Kirschenbaum, exhibition curator and one of the top XNUMX women signatories. the letter.
You can read the whole letter below:
"It does not surprise us.
We are gallery owners, art critics, editors, curators, directors of art institutions, working in the field of culture - they have touched and oppressed us against our will, they have reduced us, they have harassed us, they have threatened us and we have been intimidated by those in positions of power and control access to opportunities and development in our work.
It does not surprise us when curators promise us exhibitions and professional support in exchange for sexual "favors". It does not surprise us when gallery owners embellish, conceal or deny responsibility for the sexual harassment committed by the artists they represent. It does not surprise us when in a business meeting a collector or potential benefactor of the arts "flirts" with us against our will. It does not surprise us when our own people take revenge on us when we do not bow down. We are not surprised when Knight Landesman caresses us at an art fair promising help with our careers. The abuse of power does not surprise us.
This open letter came from a group discussion about sexual harassment in our workplace, following the recent US revelations about Art Forum publisher Knight Landesman and his misbehavior (a "common secret" of years). The discussion has acquired an international dimension and now includes artists, writers, curators, editors, museum directors, unpaid volunteers and those who hold positions in cultural institutions. Women usually need to work harder to advance professionally, especially if they are not white, racially diverse or trans. We take all these parameters very seriously so as not to contribute to further discrimination. There is a great need to finally talk about the sexism that pervades society, the unequal and unjust treatment, the harassment and the sexually inappropriate behavior that we are constantly experiencing, widely and intensely.
Many cultures and people in power in the arts pretend to embrace the positions and rhetoric of feminism, often for financial gain, claiming to support progressive policies while maintaining oppressive sexist behaviors in the everyday work environment. Those in power ignore, justify, commit daily harassment and foster degrading behavior, cultivating a climate of acceptance or even complicity in more and more serious, illegal abuses of power.
The resignation of a publisher from one of the world's most important art magazines does not solve the biggest, chronic problems: an art world that maintains the abuse of power at the expense of moral behavior - a very common phenomenon observed internationally. We have been silenced, excommunicated, described as "excessive" and threatened when we try to expose sexually and emotionally abusive behaviors.
We will not be silent anymore.
We will expose all those who continue to exploit us, to be silent, and to intimidate us. Your actions will not remain a secret which we will whisper to each other fearing retaliation and persecution in the workplace. When we find abuse of power we will report it and demand that organizations, institutions, and people be aware of these complaints and bring to light the specific behaviors by condemning them, regardless of the gender of the person who commits them. We will no longer ignore the patronizing comments, the hands on our bodies, the threats and intimidation hidden behind supposed flirting, or the consensual silences of colleagues who are afraid to risk their careers. Below is a definition of sexual harassment aimed at a safer work environment.
Those of us who sign this letter - those of us who have experienced abuse and those of us who are in solidarity supporting those who have experienced it - call on institutions, boards and colleagues in the arts to consider their role in perpetuating levels of sexual inequality and abuse. and how they will be managed in the future.There are too many of you to ignore us or make us silent. With all that we have experienced and found, this letter should not surprise anyone. "
For more information on #NOTSURPRISED: