Men banned from NZ art exhibition

27 Aug 2012, 10:18 am   -   Source: AAP
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Nicholai Anderson, a senior associate at the law firm Chen Palmer, told AAP that banning men would be unlawful discrimination by the museum or the people displaying the work. (File: AAP)

Nicholai Anderson, a senior associate at the law firm Chen Palmer, told AAP that banning men would be unlawful discrimination by the museum or the people displaying the work. (File: AAP)

A video display in a NZ gallery will exclude men because it shows Muslim women without veils.

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The banning of men from watching images of Muslim women without veils in an exhibition due to open in New Zealand next month is discrimination, a lawyer says.

The Dowse Art Museum, which is run by the Hutt City Council in Wellington, is hosting the world premiere of an art installation which includes a video by Qatari writer and film-maker Sophia Al-Maria called Cinderazahd: For Your Eyes Only. It features women getting ready for a wedding without wearing hijabs, or veils.

Dowse director Cam McCracken earlier said Al-Maria's work would be off-limits to men in keeping with the artist's wishes.

"I haven't seen the work, and I won't," he said.

"I've bought into the fact that we take this work on the proviso that no men see it. We respect the artist and the privacy of the women who are portrayed."

Paul Young has complained to the Human Rights Commission, Fairfax reported.

Nicholai Anderson, a senior associate at the law firm Chen Palmer, told AAP that banning men would be unlawful discrimination by the museum or the people displaying the work.

It was unlawful under the Human Rights Act and the Bill of Rights Act.

He said people had rights to their own religious beliefs "but at the same time under the laws of New Zealand to not admit someone because of the sex they are is unlawful".

He said most cases of sexual discrimination were resolved at the commission level by a process of mediation.

The commission initially had no comment on the issue.

Al-Maria said in a statement that images should be treated as privileged and private, for women's eyes only.

Mr McCracken said the work was likely to be screened in a small curtained-off area behind the gallery's reception, not usually open to the public.

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Your Comments

Growth thru conversation

Talkingart - from Hamilton, 27 days ago

Recently held my own art exhibition , it was designed to initiate conversations about the emerging gender / political and religious issues important to our first generation migrant groups. Accepting the possibility of rapid cultural and social changes that we are unwilling or at least unprepared for is understandably distastefull, this video show at the Dowse gallery altho promoted as art is really a political provocation, but that's ok, the point is that questions are identified and discussed.

Get the facts Nick

Snowy - from Lower Hutt, Wellington , 9 months ago

It's a public gallery Nick. Maybe it's OK in Qatar Nick, but gender discrimination is against the law in New Zealand Nick. End of story Nick!

safe space

Kite - from Toronto, 9 months ago

Gender-specific safe spaces aren't discrimination

@michael what's art?

Nick - from Melb, 9 months ago

@michael. And who are you to say what is and what isn't art? If by callin it religious, therefore not art, do you also say all of the religious works by Christian artists are also not art, or is it just Islamic works? And it's none of your concern whether you can or can't see the peice, the artist can show it to whomever she likes, it's her work.

@michael what's art?

Nick - from Melb, 9 months ago

@michael. And who are you to say what is and what isn't art? If by callin it religious, therefore not art, do you also say all of the religious works by Christian artists are also not art, or is it just Islamic works? And it's none of your concern whether you can or can't see the peice, the artist can show it to whomever she likes, it's her work.

Melb

Nick - from Melb, 9 months ago

@michael. And who are you to say what is and what isn't art? If by callin it religious, therefore not art, do you also say all of the religious works by Christian artists are also not art, or is it just Islamic works? And it's none of your concern whether you can or can't see the peice, the artist can show it to whomever she likes, it's her work. Have some respect!

Ban the men

oncewas - from bribie island, 9 months ago

Is a video of women preparing for a wedding really art ? Anyway, should be cancelled if there is to be discrimination.

I've never said this before

Michael - from Perth, 9 months ago

Art is central to my life and I've never before said this but: this isn't art. If part of it is tied in with religion so much that it excludes the audience based on gender then it is more propaganda than art. Well I'm not sure WHAT it is, but I hate the concept.

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