ARIADNE: A SOCIAL ART NETWORK (1977-82) originated as a conceptual art work to provide a structure to amplify the political impact of Suzanne Lacy and Leslie Labowitz's public performance interventions on violence against women.
1977
NO CELL PHONES
NO INTERNET
NO SOCIAL MEDIA
During the 70’s the sense of urgency for radical social change by feminists motivated us to work with activists in the public sphere rather than the confines of the art world. As artist/activists we knew that in order to affect cultural change our practice necessitated reaching as broad an audience as possible. Working collectively with women in the arts, media, activism and government broadened our effectiveness and expanded our community.
Given that it was estimated that 1 out of 3 women would be raped in their lifetime, we all shared the resolve to stop violence against women. From a creative perspective as performance artists, our vision perceived all who participated in ARIADNE as collaborators, including the media makers who were “on the public stage.” The role played by TV and news journalists was critical to the success of the performance. They were the “editors” who communicated our message and images the public. To achieve that end we formulated a media strategy that was equal in our production to that of the actual performances.
- ARIADNE Myth, the Feminist Version.
- Ending the Silence by Vivien Green Fryd.