A modern art museum staff struggles to find a more socially conscious approach while considering questions of gender bias, systemic racism, and colonialism.
Pre-screening Gallery Talk: DEAI in Focus | November 12, 12pm | Martha and David Moore Prints, Drawings, and Photographs Study, third floor, Eskenazi Museum of Art: Danielle Johnson, the Eskenazi Museum of Art’s Director of Curatorial Affairs, will discuss the museum’s own commitment to addressing issues of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) in its staffing, programming, and collections. She will also highlight some recent acquisitions by women, LGBTQ+, and artists of color. Free, but registration required as space is limited. Register here.
Drawing its title from a 1995 Guerilla Girls’ protest over the limited number of works by women artists in the world’s great art museums, this new documentary takes a cinéma vérité approach to observing a modern art museum staff’s struggle to find a more socially responsive direction. Addressing in part the city of Amsterdam's mandate to have greater diversity and inclusion in the arts, the Stedelijk Museum’s new director must rethink everything from the “Meet the Icons of Modern Art” signage on its entrance window to which artists it exhibits and collects. Looking from the inside out, the film not only raises serious questions about gender bias, systemic racism, and the legacy of colonialism, but also reveals the museum’s daily operations, including exhibition planning, storage, installation, multi-faith prayer room, and meetings. [90 min; documentary; English, German, Sranan, and Dutch with English subtitles]
"Kudos to the Stedelijk for opening itself up to such firsthand scrutiny and to Vos for spotlighting such a vastly relevant topic in a way that’s both insightful and entertaining." – Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times
"This is a surprisingly candid portrayal of an organization striving to be better and recognizing that embracing their discomfort is the only way to move forward." – Sarah Gopaul, Digital Journal
“Insightful. A merciless and hilarious interrogation of who decides which works of art end up in the museum’s gallery and why.” – Slant Magazine
Any film screened at IU Cinema may contain content that viewers find sensitive or upsetting. Visit our Audience Advisories page to learn more.
