FEMINISMS

It is no coincidence that we should have devoted the month of March to discuss feminisms. 8 March is the International Day of Women Workers, commemorating women’s struggle for participation in society and for their complete development as individuals with equal opportunities as men. The date was first celebrated in 1911, but thanks to the strength that feminist movements have gained over recent years, in 2018 the celebration was a landmark in countries like Spain. A feminist strike, organised and supported by trade unions and feminist and LGBTI associations around the country, managed to gather millions of people on the streets, defending their rights.

At A*Desk we joined the strike and decided to dedicate space to reflections on the position of women in society and in the art world. Irina Mutt described the ‘impostor syndrome’ apropos I Love Dick and the few (and increasingly less) spaces of power occupied by women in this sector. Is it true that we lack security in ourselves? Could it be true that only the women who behave like macho men go places?

Xavi Acarín reflected on the cultural policies devised by our macho rulers, cultural policies based on the large scale, the visible and pompous rooted in discourses that denigrate women, minorities and dominated classes. He defended different feminist trends to fight inequalities and pointed to the artist as a dissident agent capable of bringing about changes. How?

Sonia Fernández Pan and Alexandra Laudo gave us a few ideas, recalling initiatives launched by the public powers in Sweden  – a country particularly sensitive to gender equality – and defending a type of feminist writing based on the affections, that favours inclusive rather than legitimising references.

This month, the atmosphere on Spanish social media was heated — gentlemen were outraged by feminism, women were protesting and everything suspect of social progress was vehemently discussed. What would happen if we made them read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie? Would they consider it too basic, or would they want to burn us at the stake? We still have some way to go.