Australian Women-Only Museum Moves Exhibit To Toilet To Keep Men Out

The Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in Tasmania, Australia, has relocated a portion of its collection to the women's restroom to protest a court decision that ruled the women-only exhibition space was discriminatory against men. The "Ladies Lounge", curated by American artist Kirsha Kaechele finds itself at the forefront of controversy surrounding the rights of museums to create gender-specific spaces within their premises. The exhibit has been under appeal since April 2024 as the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Tascat) found the museum to violate the state's anti-discriminatory law.

Kaechele proposed various loopholes to keep her exhibition going, including transforming the space into a toilet or a church. On June 24, she announced a "new exhibition at Mona just for ladies" on social media, saying that it had never had female-only toilets before, as they were all unisex.

The Genesis of "Ladies Lounge"

Established in 2020, the “Ladies Lounge” was conceived as a response to historical gender disparities, drawing inspiration from the exclusionary practices of traditional Australian pubs, where women were marginalized until the 1960s. Inside this space, female patrons are treated to a curated selection of artworks by renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso and Sidney Nolan, accompanied by the service of male butlers offering champagne—a deliberate inversion of traditional gender roles.

Adorned with opulent furnishings and showcasing a curated collection of masterpieces, the Lounge serves as a testament to Mona's efforts to push boundaries and provoke thought. However, this bastion of creativity found itself embroiled in controversy when a complaint, lodged by Sydney resident Jason Lau, thrust the issue of gender discrimination into the spotlight.

Moorilla Estate Pty Ltd, under the visionary leadership of Mona's founder and owner, David Walsh, found itself at the center of a legal maelstrom following an order by Tasmania's civil and administrative tribunal.The directive, issued on March 19, mandated the cessation of denying entry to the Ladies Lounge based on gender identity, challenging Mona's long-standing policy of exclusivity. 

Legal Challenges and Court Rulings

The exhibition faced legal scrutiny when New South Wales resident Jason Lau sued Mona for denying him entry based on his gender in April 2023. Lau's lawsuit, framed within the context of anti-discrimination laws, led to a ruling by the Tasmanian civil and administrative tribunal, ordering Mona to allow entry to individuals who do not identify as women. This decision, while ostensibly aimed at upholding anti-discriminatory principles, has sparked a contentious debate regarding the interpretation of laws in the context of artistic expression and gender representation.

But the exhibit artist and curator, Kirsha Kaechele, who is married to MONA’s founder and owner, has vowed to fight the order, which she calls the “verdick,” saying she plans to challenge the ruling before the state supreme court and, in the interim, pursue a workaround to ensure the Ladies Lounge remains off-limits for men—except for male butlers who serve guests refreshments.

Mona's Response and Legal Maneuvering

In response to the tribunal's ruling, Mona launched an appeal, challenging the decision on grounds that it failed to consider the historical and ongoing societal disadvantages faced by women. The museum argued that the "Ladies Lounge" served as a platform to promote equal opportunity and challenge entrenched gender norms through artistic expression. Kirsha Kaechele, the curator behind the exhibition, announced plans to adapt the space to comply with regulations while maintaining its status as a women-only venue.

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As Kirsha Kaechele aptly articulates, "Men need to be discriminated against," she said in a post on Instagram on Tuesday, adding that she believes, with a few tweaks, the Ladies Lounge could qualify for various exemptions to Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Act. “The Ladies Lounge will become a toilet, a church and a school,” she told local newspaper the Mercury. “Thanks to the ruling, we have no choice but to open ourselves to a whole range of enriching experiences – spiritual, educational – to discover fascinating new possibilities, and to become better."

“We need to challenge the law to consider a broader reading of its definitions as they apply to art and the impact it has on the world, as well as the right for conceptual art to make some people (men) uncomfortable," Kaechele said in statement as reported by The Guardian.

She explained that the toilet could be, while technically functional, a piece of art, such as Fontaine by Marcel Duchamp, a urinal that she says she’s in talks to potentially borrow from the Centre Pompidou, "Bringing this iconic art object from Paris for display in the Ladies Lounge would reignite the debate: what is art? The inevitable controversy would serve as an excellent art history lesson for a new generation, introducing one of the most important moments in twentieth-century culture—the origins of conceptual art—to a wider, non-art audience. In this sense, the Ladies Lounge would effectively become an educational institution,” Kaechele asserts, adding that doing so would then satisfy another exemption.

This adaptation involves transforming the exhibition area into a women's toilet and a church, leveraging legal exemptions to preserve its women-centric focus. By strategically reimagining the space, Mona seeks to uphold its commitment to artistic freedom while also adhering to legal requirements.

Sundays at the Ladies Lounge

In a gesture of inclusivity, Mona announced that men would be permitted entry into the Ladies Lounge on Sundays, albeit with a twist. Rather than merely granting access, the Lounge will host educational sessions where men can engage in activities traditionally associated with domestic chores, such as ironing and folding laundry.

From Exclusion to Inclusion

Ultimately, Kaechele maintains that the legal fight has only enriched the exhibition, which was intended to conjure “in men the lived experience of women forbidden from entering certain spaces throughout history,” the museum said in a press release on Tuesday. “Ladies love the Lounge—a space away from men—and given what we have been through for the last several millennia, we need it!,” she added in the press release. “We deserve both equal rights and reparations, in the form of unequal rights, or chivalry—for at least 300 years.” 

The impending installation of a toilet within the Ladies Lounge symbolizes a shift in the perception of gender-exclusive spaces. While critics may view it as a capitulation to legal pressure, Kaechele sees it as an opportunity to redefine the narrative surrounding women's spaces, transforming what was once a site of exclusion into a symbol of empowerment and solidarity.