WhiteBox presents

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
EXHIBITION DECEMBER 9, 2016 – JANUARY 21, 2017
OPENING RECEPTION DECEMBER 9, 2016 | 6-9 PM

Curated by Lara Pan
Co-curated by Ruben Natal-San Miguel

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: suːpərˌkælᵻˌfrædʒᵻˌlɪstɪkˌɛkspiːˌælᵻˈdoʊʃəs/
The roots of the word have been defined as: super- “above”, cali- “beauty”, fragilistic- “delicate”, expiali- “to atone”, and -docious “educable”, or “Atoning for educability through delicate beauty.” In theory, the term explains how a woman should present herself in the eyes of a patriarchal society. This exhibition aims to tear down the social constructs surrounding women and to empower them, supporting the voices of folk everywhere who choose to stand up and condemn the unjust conventions imposed upon women worldwide.

The exhibition proposes to open a dialogue about how feminism is remodeling itself in the 21st century. We are witnessing in the last few years the extraordinary rise of women’s empowerment groups all over the world, who work to improve living conditions and increase autonomy for women through targeted economic, educational, and health initiatives. Despite on ongoing progress, women still today, in many parts of the world, remain underutilized and often sidelined in society due to enduring norms and traditions.

The artists included in this exhibition span various gender identifications, national origins, generations, and artistic mediums. The goal of the exhibition is to present a variety of artistic approaches that communicate an ecosystem of ideas that can demonstrate the necessity of change to patriarchal society. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious then becomes an accessible tool to raise awareness and to highlight the obstacles of gender-based discrimination.

We are welcoming ideas, communities, artists, and activists until the 21st of January.

Artists Eleanor Antin, Diane Arbus, Alice Austen, Brigid Berlin, Bolo (Saks Afridi and Qinza Najm), Meghan Boody, Tania Bruguera, Robert Farber, Carla Gannis, Rose Hartman, Dana Hoey, Dorothea Lange, Maria de Los Angeles, Marina Markovic, Ana Mendieta, Ruben Natal-San Miguel, Tim Okamura, Genesis P-Orridge, Qinza Najm, Sarah Singh, Agnès Thurnauer, Betty Tompkins

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

JANUARY 18 @ 7PM
Screening of Mariella Nitolawska’s
Breaking the Frame
a documentary about Carolee Schneemann

*Panel discussion to follow the screening with special guests TBA

PRESS
“Wake Up and Smell the Poppins at Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”
By Nicole Disser, Bedford+Bowery

The programs of WhiteBox are made possible in part by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs

and New York State Council for the Arts

Press Contact: press@whiteboxny.org