(MIAMI, FL — November  2020) — ​Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) ​is pleased to announce ​MY BODY, MY RULES​, an all-female group exhibition that examines the mainstream portrayal of women, confronting the stereotypes, violence, limitations, and ideals imposed on the disputed image of the female body. Featuring 23 diverse female artists, the works in the show come together to address contemporary discussions on gender, race, body politics, resilience, and self-representation amid today’s social landscape.

Artists include ​Ida Applebroog, Ruth Bernhard, ​Louise Bourgeois, ​Patty Chang, Naomi Fisher, Anna Gaskell, Anna Bella Geiger, Andrea Geyer, Frances Goodman, Hayv Kahraman, Lee Materazzi, Ana Mendieta, Wangechi Mutu, Maria Nepomuceno, Marlo Pascual, Christina Quarles, Pipilotti Rist, Zilia Sánchez, Carolee Schneemann, Cindy Sherman, Lorna Simpson, Mickalene Thomas, and Francesca Woodman​.

“Taking into account women’s history and struggles encountered in various journeys toward equality, this exhibition convenes works that encourage feminist discourse and increase our awareness of women’s role in today’s society. It’s extremely exciting to see a diverse group of works that are dated from the early 60s to our current year (2020) that are collectively addressing patriarchal narratives that permeate our surroundings—this grouping portrays a glimpse of how things have evolved, and unfortunately, how much work has yet to be done,” said ​PAMM Associate Curator Jennifer Inacio​.

MY BODY, MY RULES is conceived as a chant of empowerment, with the aim of stimulating awareness and asserting women’s authority and power over their own experiences. By condemning gender inequality, revisiting traditional roles, deconstructing labels, and reclaiming power, each work in this exhibition offers a platform for reflection on the contemporary female image narrative through a feminist lens. Together, with a variety of accompanying programs, this exhibition showcases the artists’ diverse cultural influences, prompting a collective, in-depth dialogue on how women have the right to their own lives and own bodies.

“Conceived and organized by Jennifer Inacio, this exhibition is a timely exploration of intersectionality amongst women and the potential for coalition building when a curatorial lens is structured by gender,” said ​PAMM Director Franklin Sirmans​. “With a breadth of media and a diversity of subject matter, the show also highlights the richness of a selection of artworks acquired recently by the museum.”

The exhibition will feature artworks across all mediums, such as painting, sculpture, photography and video. Highlights include a painting by ​Hayv Kahraman​, who often refers to the figures she represents as “colonized bodies,” Arab women who are subjected to exoticism, eroticism, sexism, and violence through the Western gaze. A collage by ​Wangechi Mutu ​assembled with images from contact paper and photographs of face and body parts cut out from mass-market publications like ​Glamour,​ ​Vogue,​ and National Geographic.​ There is also a selection of photographs hung salon style that depict nudes or women portrayed in seductive poses, including a photograph by ​Mickalene Thomas​.

“It was important to place all of these works as a group to highlight that many depictions of women in this way seen in art history were through the male gaze, but in this instance, the women photographed here are being captured through a female lens or through their own eyes, taking ownership of their own representation within art,” said ​Inacio​.

MY BODY, MY RULES i​s organized by PAMM Associate Curator Jennifer Inacio. This exhibition is presented with support from Karen H. Bechtel and William M. Osborne, and Patricia and William Kleh. Additional support from PAMM’s International Women’s Committee is also gratefully acknowledged.