RE/SISTERS: A Lens on Gender and Ecology at the Barbican

Barbican Art Gallery, Barbican Centre, Silk St, London EC2Y 8DS
5 October 2023 – 14 January 2024

The curatorial argument presented in the exhibition RE/SISTERS: A Lens on Gender and Ecology reinterprets the concept of 'ecofeminism' originally formulated by the French writer Françoise d’Eaubonne in her 1974 publication, ‘Feminism or Death’. Within this seminal work, the author brings together feminist and environmentalist theories. The central premise is that the subjugation of women and environmental decline are intricately linked, stemming from the inseparable dynamics of patriarchy and capitalism.

Within this framework, which extends beyond theoretical discourse to embrace a political dimension, the exhibition brings together 250 artworks created between the 60s and the present day. It encompasses a vast variety of artistic proposals that, in different ways, are linked to the premise of ‘ecofeminism’, articulating a resistance against gender violence and the exploitation of nature. It discloses the intricate bonds forged by women with the land, manifesting as acts of protest against both patriarchal structures that have subjugated women, and global capitalism that has wreaked havoc on the ecosystem. These works, crafted by nearly 50 women and gender non-conforming artists from various corners of the globe, predominantly feature photography, film, installations, and archival and documentary material. Hence the exhibition unfolds as a primarily visual platform for re-staging a plurality of feminist discourses and processes.

Encountering the work of iconic artists is a delight, such as the American artist Agnes Denes' Wheatfield - A Confrontation (1982), who transformed a two-acre site near Wall Street in New York City into a wheatfield. This piece stands as a testament of nature's resilience, by creating a site to reclaim the land and honour the Earth’s inherent generative potential. Another special addition is Pamela Singh’s Chipko Tree Huggers (1994), portraying a collective act of resistance in the Himalayas. In this work, a group of women embrace tree trunks, protecting them from the threat of being felled. These two examples, among many others, showcase the beauty and power of women artists who have been actively shaping the artistic landscape, both in the recent past and the present.

The photographs documenting the processes, performances, and rituals of Cuban-American artist Ana Mendieta reveal the artist’s exploration of the female body profoundly linked with the earth. From the 70s to the 80s, Mendieta employed her body as a creative instrument, treating the earth as her canvas and utilising natural elements as her pictorial materials. Her Silhouettes series were created by means of air, water, fire, earth, and blood, seeking to honour the rich cultural heritage embedded in her ancestry. Image of Yagul (1973), showcased at the Barbican Art Gallery, captures a moment from a ritual where Mendieta placed her body over an ancient Zapotec tomb in Oaxaca, Mexico. In this piece, she metaphorically explored the dualistic nature of life and death, embodying the fundamental principle of alchemy: flourishing, arising after the process of putrefaction. Mendieta’s practice is a powerful expression of the vitality and fertility inherent in woman’s bodies, while paying homage to her pre-Hispanic roots and genealogy. Her work is also an expression of a profound yearning to anchor an identity that is reconnected with the Latin American origin and non-Western genealogies.

The piece by American feminist and activist Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Touch Sanitation (1978), stands as a testament to the artist’s extraordinary personality. Over 11 months, Ukeles embarked on a poetic and social performance, engaging in the act of shaking hands with 8,500 sanitation workers while expressing gratitude for their role in ‘keeping NYC alive’. The photographs documenting this process not only capture, but also convey the unique energy of the artist’s intervention – a mixture of optimism and playfulness– as she disrupts the daily routine of male sanitation workers. In doing so, Ukeles brings visibility to the 'invisible' labour of those who sustain and clean the urban ecological landscape. The critic, theorist, and educator Suzy Gablik draws upon this piece to articulate her concept of ‘connective aesthetics’. This perspective envisions art as a mechanism, fostering connection, healing, and ecological awareness. Ukeles’ work is an important example of the capacity of art in prompting compassion, and advocating for the care of both workers and the sanitation of the spaces we inhabit. In the broader context of Gablik’s theory, Touch Sanitation illustrates art’s potential to forge connections, inspire empathy, and contribute to a healthier relationship between humans and the environment.

One of the few pieces that differs from conventional framing and wall display is the Water Portraits series (2016) by the London-born Colombian artist Carolina Caycedo. Comprising photocollages printed on long silk fabrics, these interventions cascade from the wall to the ground, creating a visual representation of rivers, streams, or waterfalls in motion. The psychedelic patterns of the fabrics not only artistically capture the fluidity of water and the influence of gravity on its currents, but also evoke a sense of vital energy, resonating as if water were a sentient organism with agency traversing the landscape freely. These rhythmic abstractions, seemingly pulsating with life, somehow seem to transmit a form of embodied knowledge and tacitly communicate poetic messages. They take a role of visual and experiential revelations, akin to chants or mantras. For Caycedo, rivers are the planet’s veins, and her ‘portraits’ transform bodies of water into living entities. Rivers are active political agents entwined in environmental conflicts, rather than mere resources for human extractivism. The artist’s Water Portraits are vibrant embodiments of the interconnectedness of art and nature, urging viewers to reconsider our relationship with water and recognise its intrinsic value beyond utilitarian purposes.

As the exhibition concludes, the viewer departs with a sense of satisfaction and empowerment. While the curatorial aim is to show the parallel between the oppression of women and the degradation of the planet, the overall message goes beyond the anger, the wounds, injustices, and irreparable harms. It brings forth the capacity for resistance and the inherent power of resilience, regeneration, and defence that women inherently and organically possess, and which is intimately intertwined with the nurturing essence of the Earth. This series of artworks not only provides spiritual and aesthetic solace, but also enacts political and social action. They activate the transformative agency of women, empowering us to challenge and reshape the power structures that have long dominated our planet. RE/SISTERS: A Lens on Gender and Ecology is a visual and emotional journey that reveals the intertwined struggles for gender equality and environmental preservation, reminding the viewer that the commitment to both remains an urgent and imperative matter.

Dr Paula Zambrano
Curator of Programmes

Barbican Art Gallery
Barbican Centre, Silk St, London EC2Y 8DS
Opening Times: Saturday to Wednesday 10am-6pm, Thursday & Friday 10am-8pm 
Exhibition Open Until 14 January 2024