Baltic Flour Mills gateshead

[tanama]

I've named changed for this as local to me

I haven't been here for a while but I went a few days ago. Felt it had gone downhill, the current exhibitions were a bit naff and they have changed the cafe which was overpriced. I quite like the shop but it is £££££ and the viewing platform was shut.

One exhibition was by Ad Minoliti who "uses feminist and queer theory to generate alternative interpretations of painting, design, architecture, art history and visual language" and featured giant cartoonish cats and wolves in silky dressing gowns which have me an AGP vibe.

Anyway, as you go into the lobby there are neon signs EVERYWHERE you look about hate crime, hit it won't be tolerated, etc etc, it then lists characteristics which hate crime can be based on and of course sex isn't on there but gender identity is.

It it just me who thinks that this is completely unnecessary?How much hate crime occurs exactly in a modern art gallery with an overpriced cafe mainly frequented by middle class types?? Or is this just virtue signally by the gallery trying to prove their woke credentials?

If you are someone who belongs to a minority group I think it would out you on edge and give you the impression that you are likely to face "hate" at every turn as you survey the pretentious art.

I wonder if the Harry miller case will mean we will see less of this.

Places that show queer or other sexuality based diverse exhibitions always do it in the name of inclusively.

Yet they never feature exhibits by/inspired by/discussion points on those with physical or mental disabilities or other areas of diversity.

It's always sexuality based.

Yes it did.

The whole concept was around being a "classroom for queer feminism." (And then hiding any references to women)

Later I'll see if it was mentioned in any emails I had.

The thing is that there's nothing that is actually offensive on the surface.

If you read the handout it mentions fetish (above the word children.)

If you didn't read any of it and had no idea what furries are there's no issue. Maybe the artist is completely naïve.

The issue is that this is exactly why some abusers are furries, it's a sexual fetish. I mean: Challoner.

Telling kids queer feminism and furries are cool is basically a form of indirect grooming.

Kids are definetly not allowed to interact with the figurines. My dc went to hold one of their hands as we walked in and was told not to touch. Weird that they don't have a little rope around them but hey ho.

There's bean bags and sort of cut outs of walls all around to sit at, but when we were there, there was just two men sat (apart) on different bean bags so we just did a lap of the room and left.

Yet they never feature exhibits by/inspired by/discussion points on those with physical or mental disabilities or other areas of diversity.

To be fair them they were exhibiting the art local sen schools had done, and still are but it's all in the education floor.

But you're right, no artists with disabilities where the main ideas are around that, that I know of.

Very few galleries are featuring anti ableist art (why the f that exhibition included that word in the handout I have no idea as there's none to be seen in the exhibition) though it's begun a little in London and a few pockets here and there.

I love that some people are trying to tell the OP her feelings about and interpretation of the art are wrong.

That's not very fucking postmodern is it?

The exhibition was probably commissioned a couple of years before opening, so around 2019. Which was the height of stonewall infecting everything.

Looking at the next few, there seems to be a different tact, including one at the end of 2022 looking at the Labour of motherhood.

including one at the end of 2022 looking at the Labour of motherhood

I'd visit this. I would also be interested to see the language used by both the artist and Baltic surrounding this.

Me too.

Looking at the artist images I'm not exactly feeling it but the art probably hasn't been made yet

In fairness they are always off their rockers. I saw a delightful instillation there that was a piece of black and yellow tape across the door, a sign saying 'closed for cleaning' and then a coke can on the floor

I saw that one! There was some Tesco carrier bags lying around and someone’s toddler being chased by very stressed staff. The coke can was very bootable, but apparently you weren’t supposed to

My kids and I just clocked the octonaut in this exhibition. And found it all a bit boring.

@Shedmistress

Wolves in silky dressing gowns lol. They can't help themselves can they?

Say what you see people.

@RepentMotherfucker

I love that some people are trying to tell the OP her feelings about and interpretation of the art are wrong.

That's not very fucking postmodern is it?

BALTIC Spotlight | Ad Minoliti - YouTube

m.youtube.com/watch?v=UxlPfD9gqEM

I once saw a short film there about a man going to the beach. He took a plastic patio chair.

I also saw the coke can one. There was a woman in there whose job seemed to be to protect the can. I wonder if it was kicked if it would have had to be repositioned by the artist.

That video was interesting scrolling.

I really like the paintings.

The furries, I do not get (I do love her description - furries are people who are 'really interested' in animals)

I too liked the paintings and the painted clothes without caring in the least about their ‘message’ as I think they hold their own. I liked the way the ‘real’ space of the room was created partly from the depictions in the paintings - lovely. I noted that people were invited to sit on the bean bags so the poster here whose child wasn’t allowed should have been.

I didn’t like the ‘furries’ and the messing around with the gender idea there ‘because the mannequins come in only two sexes’ (paraphrase). Gratuitous and adulterating I thought.

The Baltic have been woke 'emperors new clothes' wankers for years now. Last time I went, i felt like it was one entire gaslighting experience. I won't be back.

@SavoyCabbage

I once saw a short film there about a man going to the beach. He took a plastic patio chair.

I also saw the coke can one. There was a woman in there whose job seemed to be to protect the can. I wonder if it was kicked if it would have had to be repositioned by the artist.

I couldn't decide if posters were being genuine about the coke can or doing a Titania McGrath.

Something that occurs to me about the mannequins - When I lived in Central America, I was amazed at the mannequins local shops used - they had enormous breasts - and it wasn't just one shop, it was common to lots of shops. The first time I saw them I assumed it was a sex shop, but it was just a normal clothes shop. Didn't matter the age - teenagers, cardigans for grannies, all on female mannequins with massive boobs.

I don't know if that's the case in Argentina, but I can see that if it was, perhaps it would matter more to her that the mannequins weren't like that - although why then choose furries in silky stuff I don't know, since to anyone who's spent any time on the internet, that has pretty sexual connotations too (and I noticed a harness on one as well)

Argentina has (or had until recently) one of the highest rates of femicide in the world. There's been an amazing feminist movement there.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4281846-Feminism-in-Argentina