In September, I did a post on Instagram about meeting Nadya Tolokonnikova, one of the founders of Pussy Riot who – with her partner, John Caldwell – established UnicornDAO, a supporter of stronger female representation in the NFT space. Our meeting took place at the New York home of Carola Jain of DMINTI, an organization that supports artists and cultural figures in expressing their vision through advanced digital technology. Since that time, we have all been working on a project that will launch on December 1, 2022 at Miami ICA, during Art Basel Miami Beach.
(Top) Nadya Tolokonnikova and Judy Chicago, 2022. Photo by Donald Woodman. (Botton) Judy Chicago’s copy of Read and Riot by Nadya Tolokonnikova.
I have to say that I have been singularly uninterested in the NFT world, finding it lacking in both meaning and substance and too much about money. However, DMINTI has shown me that there is an untapped potential in the metaverse, primarily its ability to reach people all over the world which is what Nadya and I are trying to do with (for me) two goals; the first is to help increase the small percentage of women who participate in the web3 world and the other is to discover whether this developing digital technology can be put to better use than ‘minting money’ (especially of crypto-currency).
I have to say that I have been singularly uninterested in the NFT world, finding it lacking in both meaning and substance and too much about money. However, DMINTI has shown me that there is an untapped potential in the metaverse, primarily its ability to reach people all over the world which is what Nadya and I are trying to do with (for me) two goals; the first is to help increase the small percentage of women who participate in the web3 world and the other is to discover whether this developing digital technology can be put to better use than ‘minting money’ (especially of crypto-currency).
As we watch – and despair – about the fact that in so many parts of the world we are witnessing hard-earned gains being pushed back by a male patriarchal structure (which some women support) lashing out at their gradual loss of privilege. Women have lost autonomy over their own bodies in the United States and diverse communities are being threatened by the bigotry of the religious right: women have been re-subjugated by the Taliban in Afghanistan: in Iran, women and their varied supporters are being imprisoned and killed; and in China and Hong Kong, previously enjoyed freedoms are being steadily stripped away. All the while, the environment is being inexorably destroyed all over the world. When Greta Thunberg, a young Swedish girl challenged world leaders to do something about climate change – which affects us all and most egregiously, other species – we have seen endless conferences and meetings and a near-total absence of political vision, leadership and courage.
(Left) Cunt Cheerleaders from the Feminist Art Program developed by Judy Chicago at Fresno State College, 1971. Left to right: Cay Lang, Vanalyne Green, Dori Atlantis, Sue Boud. Through the Flower Archives housed at the Penn State University Archives. (Right) Pussy Riot protesting in Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow, Russia. Photo by Mitya Aleshkovskiy.
Meanwhile, in the art world, seemingly well meaning climate activists seem to think that acting out against famous works of art is an appropriate way of expressing their frustration at the state of the world. I keep thinking that there must be a better way to make change; after all, artists all over the world have been trying to use their voices to bring attention to the dire situation we human beings have created. So what does this have to do with the project Nadya and I are working on?
This new project grew out of my lifetime commitment to making change through art, specifically my work with Maria Grazia Chiuri, the first female director of Dior, for whom I designed “The Female Divine”, a monumental installation for her January, 2020 couture show. Maria Grazia brought me and my husband, photographer Donald Woodman, to Paris to see an earlier show. As we sat in the audience, I kept wondering if art could have any real place in the heady world of high fashion. What I discovered was that Dior’s global reach brought the questions posed by the banners, “What If Women Ruled the World?”, to people all over the planet and hopefully, provided some information, enlightenment and empowerment and that is what can lead to real change.
Judy Chicago, What if Women Ruled the World? Commemorative Print, 2020, Archival Pigment Print on paper, 31 x 24 in. (78.74 x 60.96 cm) in/cm. © Judy Chicago/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; Photo © Donald Woodman/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
(Left) Installation view of the English banners, Dior’s Spring-Summer 2020 haute couture runway show at the Musée Rodin, Paris, FR. Photos courtesy of Dior. (Right) Would There Be Violence? banner installation view detail, Dior’s Spring-Summer 2020 haute couture runway show at the Musée Rodin, Paris, FR. Photos courtesy of Dior.
It might be that we will fail in our goal of trying to inspire all those who share our values to come together and make our voices heard. If so, we will at least be comforted by hearing from like-minded people all over the world. On the other hand, perhaps so many folks will come together to answer the questions in my banners that a snowball effect will occur that simply rolls over this depressing time in history and stimulates new answers that can lead us to a better place.
Nadya Tolokonnikova and Judy Chicago. Still from their collaboration with DMINTI, 2022.
With the help of DMINTI, Nadya and I are again posing these same questions within the framework of a new revolutionary blockchain enabled call-and-response. We are inviting allies from around the world to share their ideas and participate in the creation of an evolving NFT artwork that could lead to a global community supporting gender rights, climate justice and a way of thinking together about how best to change course before it’s too late. Selected answers to the questions posed by my banners will become the creation of the largest change-focused NFT with shared ownership by all participants. The December 1st event will be live streamed via various channels including my Instagram. As John Lennon famously wrote decades ago; “Imagine” and join us.
We have already received one response to our invitation to participate – from Caledonia Curry, also known as Swoon, one of the first female street artists, who inspired an entire generation of young women to make their voices heard.
