Leslie Labowitz Starus, Suzanne Lacy: Ariadne: A Social Art Network
Artist(s):
Title:
- Ariadne: A Social Art Network
Exhibition:
Medium:
- Archive and Website
Category:
Artist Statement:
We are at a time when women are speaking out loud and clear that sexual violence must end. By breaking the silence on all the forms of sexual violence and harassment, a major transition is taking place. How effective social media can change real life violence against women and children is yet to be determined. It is certainly effective, but it is not enough. A model of cooperation is necessary now more than ever. The website www.againstviolence.art represents activists performance art by Suzanne Lacy and Leslie Labowitz, on violence against women, performed from 1977-1982. It is a visual archive of all the activities including documentation, video, photos, etc. of ARIADNE: A Social Art Network, organizing women in the media, government, activists and artists to work together on public programs, performances, media events, on the subject of rape, incest, domestic violence, etc. The website was created in 2018 by Leslie Labowitz and designed by Carolina Ibarra-Mendoza to introduce the #MeToo generation to early activist work.
This website certainly contributes to the visibility of the long history of feminist activists and artists who have paved the way for change and contributed to this evolutionary moment. In 2007, Suzanne and Leslie produced an installation called “The Performing Archive” that was made up of all their paper documents from performances from 1977-82 including the ARIADNE archive. That project focused on the intergenerational aspect of diverse young women going through the archives while they were interviewed on video. Likewise, this website is meant to activate this generation while also serving as research material for academics and historians. The fact that this website is free and accessible opens it to distribution channels never before possible, including its use as curriculum material for College and University Art and Media Arts Departments, Gender Studies, and other related field
Other Information:
Issues: Collaboration, Feminism, Performance, and Violence
