IS THE ART WORLD MORE TOLERANT OF WOMEN?

This week’s episode of We Women Want features actor and author Lisa Ray and Myna Mukherjee, curator & founder/director of Engendered. This week’s episode is set amidst Myna’s latest curation, ‘One Story is Not Enough.’ It features a variety of artistic perspectives across mediums with artists from India, USA, Iran, UK & Sri Lanka.

FREEDOM

We discuss whether the art world is more tolerant of female thought and how female artists have greater freedom of expression than other industries. Myna speaks about the power of art in bringing the world closer, as her exhibition features photos by Iranian women photographers. These photos are left unsigned to protect the identity of the Iranian photographers who grapple with large-scale protests in their country.

RECOGNITION

We discuss the need to highlight female artists’ works worldwide, specifically in India and through India.

PARTICIPATION

We also discuss in depth the entry and participation of women in the digital art space, such as NFTs, and the panelists’ vision to take art forms from the global south to the rest of the world. Lisa Ray explains how she has nurtured a passion for contemporary artistic expression in India and across Asia. Lisa’s love for the arts has resulted in her co-founding ‘The Upside Space,’ a curator-led digital art platform that spotlights artistic expressions from Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East. An already male-tilted tech sector could result in men dominating the digital art world, which runs on seemingly ‘complicated’ blockchain technology & web3.

EMPOWERMENT

 Myna and Lisa emphasize the need for women to get educated and empowered and enter the digital art space in the nascent stage.

SEXISM

The show briefly touches upon sexism in the art world. Lisa compares her experience as an actor/ model in the entertainment industry versus her journey as an art aficionado. The panelists feel the art world is safer but isn’t free of sexism. We Women Want is a weekly show that explores out-of-the-box issues such as this. We raise women-oriented issues and awareness through our discussions. The show is moderated by Devika Chopra, Associate News Editor, NewsX.