Art exhibit or child abuse

[haggistramp]

Personally I'm opting for the latter, its inappropriate for children. Apparently this was in Estonia and it was a school trip. If the tables were turned and a middle aged man exposed his body to teenage girls I'm sure there would be an outcry. If it were my son I dont think I'd be very happy.
On a lighter note, the young boys face says it all. female nudity warning.

How horrible.

There's nothing feminist going on there - a woman exposing her body in a silky gown.

If it was in Estonia this is just a non story.
Nudity is as normalised there as making a slice of toast. Kids see family friends and strangers naked all the time because of sauna culture.
All the time.

Was it some sort of feminist thing?
No wonder that feminists in the Baltics are drawn to extreme measures given the statistics for violence against women there.

Is this straight conversion therapy?

Having read down the thread, it wasn't an art exhibit. The woman was protesting the exhibition because she felt the male artist was anti-feminist in his depiction of women. The silky gown was her dress and she later took it off completely.

It's the art world equivalent of a streaker at a sports match but the security at the gallery seem much slower.

It isn't clear whether the woman in question was part of the exhibition or protesting against it.

Either way it is not appropriate for her to being exposing herself to underage boys.

Having said that, the pictures from the Russian article linked on Twitter suggest her nakedness was by no means the most offensive thing those kids were exposed to.

I need eye bleach. Yuck.

I covered up the naked woman with my thumb and showed DS (14) the picture. His initial reaction was “what the hell?!?” and then “OMG! What’s that on the table?” So the naked woman wasn’t the only troubling exhibit in that room.

If she was protesting or not makes no difference imo. She has eyes, she can see there are kids present. Exposing yourself to others, let alone children, without consent is disgusting, especially in such close range. There are other legitimate ways to protest other peoples art work.

I am only commenting on the image as it was published.

I think that in this photograph the real, naked body of the woman (a real human body) makes a very poignant contrast with the silicone body parts (perk breasts, porn style vulvas and vaginas on the table in the photograph. Visually is very powerful to see what an actual female body looks like versus the fake silicone body parts that are now considered 'normative' for female beauty.

I'm not defending the exhibition btw, whatever is on the table looks equally inappropriate for children, as did the wall art.

I do not find it offensive.

Women in the Baltics have a different case to fight than the rest of us in Europe. You can take this picture and use it any any context.
Let’s remember that until quite recently (maybe still) there were many many young girls 11and 12 year olds) used as prostitutes on the streets of Tallinn. Domestic violence laws there are woefully inadequate. The statistics are quite shocking.
The kids in this picture look purely bored and slightly amused . They’ll have seen half their family and friends naked anyway. It’s not news.
We should divert our attention to why this woman feels this level of extreme attention seeking to the cause is necessary. It goes beyond appreciation of the female form or whatever other point she’s trying to make. The Baltics need urgent intervention from the Eu to question why it is that they don’t meet the basic standards for protecting women from violence and rape.

Sorry haggistramp that last comment was not in response to you! :)

I meant to say: I do not find the woman's response offensive - what is on the table is way more damaging to boys (and girls, and women and men) than the woman's nudity.

And we’re talking about a countries where normalised expectations for women include living on 100 calories a day and bleaching your arsehole to bag a rich man. It does need attention.

I'm not questioning the dire rights of women in this country, but there are better ways to fight for them. Exposing yourself is a non starter and will do more harm than good.

Sorry countries that should read. All three I’m referring to.

The artist who protested is Mare Tralla. www.tralla.net/about/
I like her!

I think it's difficult to see the picture in context.

What we have is a middle aged woman - with a real body - in a room with some pictures on the wall and some odd silicone things on a table. Plus an obviously right wing anti-feminist comment on the photo, which suggests he has picked that photo for some reason.

It's only when you look more closely at the items on the table - silicone breasts created by a male artist, that her presence and protest becomes clear.

And the info that in Estonia, sauna culture means this is a naked society where everyone will have seen real naked bodies all the time.

So art exhibit or child abuse? Well she isn't the art exhibit, and with the further information she is making a highly valid feminist protest about porn culture and male artists view of the female body. Child abuse - that would be taking a load of kids to see some porn inspired female genitals.

Well the majority of what's in the National Gallery is not dissimilar or worse.

But nakedness is just a nothing there.
It’s as normalized as taking off your shoes.
The unusual thing is that the woman has not been waxed , bleached, silicone implanted, starved , labia sliced, and so on.

I agree with Anna.

However the art world does need to be held up to a bit of scrutiny.

mobile.twitter.com/barbiereports/status/1105393700614668289

“I think that in this photograph the real, naked body of the woman (a real human body) makes a very poignant contrast with the silicone body parts (perk breasts, porn style vulvas and vaginas on the table in the photograph. Visually is very powerful to see what an actual female body looks like versus the fake silicone body parts that are now considered 'normative' for female beauty.”

I agree, and I think the woman taking off her clothes is making a good point.

There is nothing offensive per se about naked bodies. Equus the play is suitable for teens and featured male nudity.

They look like young teens, not children, yes to the context of sauna culture , they do look a bit ‘wtf’ but not shocked or horrified.

The number of derogatory comments about the woman’s body suggests that a feminist protest about objectified female bodies in the original exhibition has a long way to go.

I think this is a ‘meh’ issue.

www.stena.ee/blog/skandal-na-otkrytii-vystavki-v-pyarnu-hudozhnitsa-feministka-razdelas-dogola-no-eto-esche-ne-vs

Also please. Google the femicide statistics for the Baltics. They are some of the highest anywhere.

A recent thread on here suggested Lithuania as a wonderful holiday destination. Well. NOT if you are a woman that values your rights.
Have a read around the Baltics, the Istanbul convention , and so on if you need educating further. And please look at the stats. It’s a disgrace.

If it was in Estonia this is just a non story.
Nudity is as normalised there as making a slice of toast. Kids see family friends and strangers naked all the time because of sauna culture

By that argument women and girls in Estonia shouldn't complain about male flashers.

Context and consent is relevant. No one in that gallery expected to see, nor consented to see , her naked.