The AU Museum will feature three shows depicting political and social protest in an event called "The ART of CONFRONTation" Nov. 6, according to an AU press release.
Fernando Botero will display a complete exhibition of his works, which brought attention to the human rights abuses that occurred during the U.S. occupation of Abu Ghraib prison. This show will be the exhibition's first display in the United States, according to the press release.
"Claiming Space" will show sexism and gender bias pieces, along with other topics from the 1970s. Early U.S. feminists produced all of the works in this exhibition, according to the press release. It is curated by Norma Broude and Mary Garrard.
"Dark Metropolis," produced by Irving Norman, covers the topics of war, the inequality of capitalism and the tyranny of the elite, according to the press release.
In addition, the event will also feature the feminist art of AU professors Broude and Garrard. The duo hopes to reverse female artist stereotypes of delicate art pieces by showcasing large and forceful pieces instead, according to the press release.
AU's location in D.C. allows the university to organize events like "The Art of CONFRONTation," according to AU Museum Director Jack Rasmussen.
"We are not government, we are private; we are a museum, but we are also a university," he said. "So, we not only have the protection of freedom of expression, but we have the additional backing of academic freedom, which allows us to do shows that challenge the status quo, and that is something that no other museum does in Washington."
-KIM SELMAN
