Having it all, all, all

Having it all, all, all brings together international artists whose work has been pivotal for the re-evaluation of female subjectivity in art. Spanning the 1960s to 1990s, this exhibition of select video and performance art delves into the activism and identity politics associated with Second Wave Feminism and its critics. When the autonomy of individual bodies remains subject to debate and co-optation by oppressive political agendas, we consider the legacies of key works that have contributed to a dialogue of reclamation and empowerment.

Challenging the objectification of women’s bodies was pivotal to the Feminist refrain “the personal is political,” with artists centring their body in their work as a means to destabilise voyeurism. Hannah Wilke was instrumental in the development of a radical form of Feminist art that was bound to the body with what she termed ‘performalist self-portraits’, leaving an indelible mark on art history. In the 1970s, Nil Yalter was fearless in her exploration of taboo topics relating to women’s erotic desire and the evolution of her practice has continued to challenge grand historical narratives through the subjective experience.

Both physical and spiritual connections through the body are explored in Ana Mendieta’s pioneering Siluetas Series, in which she signifies a return to a metaphorical womb and her native Cuban homeland. The inclusion of Yoko Ono’s Cut Piece marks 60 years since it was performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Preceding the emergence of a Feminist Art genre, Ono’s message of resilience and peace remains piercingly relevant to our contemporary times. Janice Tanaka is informed by personal experiences in her observations of womanhood and family, and Howardena Pindell reveals the social and racial biases of the wider women’s movement that she experienced coming of age in the United States.

Parody and humour have been key tenets employed by artists to challenge a dominant patriarchal culture with ingrained roles for women. Martha Rosler deconstructs the messages of the fashion industry with deadpan wit, and in her seminal work Semiotics of the Kitchen (1975) parodies television cooking demonstrations from the 1960s. Christa Schadt uses popular music to undermine traditional power dynamics while Pipilotti Rist’s blend of fantasy and reality suggests the concept of para-feminism through an immersive and embodied gaze.

Having it all, all, all provides insight into the practices of nine female artists whose work and commentary invites renewed attention through a contemporary lens.

This exhibition is part of the 2025 Auckland Pride Festival. See the full programme at aucklandpride.org.nz

Presented in association with Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival 2025.