The Brooklyn Museum’s recent exhibition on Picasso and feminism, co-organized by Hannah Gadsby, has received scathing reviews from many critics. They claimed that the exhibition lacked scholarship and didn’t feature enough significant works of art, while also being knee-jerk in its politics. However, despite these criticisms, the exhibition saw a 51% increase in general admission over the previous weekend after its opening on June 2nd. The Brooklyn Museum is standing by the exhibition, arguing that it was meant to prompt heated discussion and that they anticipated objections when they hired Gadsby.
The exhibition, entitled “It’s Pablo-matic: Picasso According to Hannah Gadsby,” explores Picasso’s troublesome legacy of abusing his female muses and using them in his work. Picasso once said, “Every time I change wives I should burn the last one. That way I’d be rid of them. They wouldn’t be around to complicate my existence. Maybe, that would bring back my youth, too. You kill the woman, and you wipe out the past she represents.”
The exhibition presents paintings, drawings, and sculptures by Picasso alongside works by female artists in the museum’s collection. Visitors were moved by the exhibition and its pointed take on Picasso. Some saw it as an opportunity to begin a conversation about patriarchal attitudes and misogyny in the art world. Others felt that it didn’t engage enough with the artwork and substituted for a more substantive effort to explore the topic.
The Brooklyn Museum is no stranger to controversy, having faced criticism in the past for its exhibitions. The Gadsby show was developed in response to an invitation extended to several institutions by the Musée Picasso to mark the 50th anniversary of Picasso’s death. The curators worked together on conceptualizing and selecting pieces for the show, with Gadsby an integral part of the process.
