The Beginning is Always Today aims to look at whether the battles over gender equality and equal rights are still important. Exploring the concept of whether feminism is still relevant, SKMU Sørlandets Kunstmuseum brings together 40 Scandinavian artists whose work addresses feminism in the last 20 years. In recent years the word “feminist” has become almost taboo in Norway and this exhibition seeks to uncover why the word holds such negative connotations and whether it is because the battle for equality is over.

SKMU is the first museum to focus on feminism today across all the Scandinavian countries. The exhibition is also the culmination of the gallery’s commemoration of the centennial for women’s suffrage in Norway. Aiming to spotlight feminism and art today, the exhibition offers an insight into the conditions and challenges that still exist for female practitioners. In order to celebrate one-hundred years of voting rights in Norway the gallery explores the serious, intrusive and humorous in feminist artistic practice.

In the past, during the 1970s, the stereotype for feminist art was works dealing explicitly with the woman’s body and problems related to the home. However, in the modern age, feminism has a much wider scope, it encompasses themes related to minorities, power and global issues. Even though Scandinavia is considered to be ahead in terms of sexual liberation, gender equality and equal rights, the feminist art scene is relatively unknown to those who are not involved in it and as such SKMU decided to highlight the various artists in this show. Some of the artists featured include, Peter Brandt, Leif Holmstrand, Lisa Strömbeck, Roxy Farhat, Malmö Fria and many more.

The Beginning Is Always Today is currently running at SKMU Sørlandets Kunstmuseum, Skippergata 24 B, Kristiansand.

Credits
1. Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen, How to Break the Great Chinese Wall in 3 Parts. Part 2: Never Mind Pollock, 2008, courtesy of the artist and Jan Stradtmann.