Feminist Library’s participation in Tate Exchange

The Feminist Library curatorial group statement on the Feminist Library’s participation in Tate Exchange.
After careful consideration the Feminist Library collective have decided to withdraw from the Tate Exchange 2021 program in response to a number of troubling issues that have come to light over the past months.

We feel compelled to withdraw our labour in solidarity with those affected by the planned redundancy of 313 of Tate workers. We understand PCS members have suspended the strike pending a new redundancy offer but the decision by Tate to pursue redundancies across its lowest paid and most diverse teams whilst executives continue to earn hundreds of thousands of pounds has caused us to reflect on the nature of the organisation to which we are contributing our own low, and often unpaid, labour through the Tate Exchange.

Tate Exchange Associates have been informed of the withdrawal of Amy Sharrocks as lead artist for this year’s Tate Exchange, however, the circumstances around this remain unclear. Senior members of Tate Exchange staff have stated that they are unable to give further explanation due to confidentiality and on-going internal processes. Whilst this is understandable it makes it impossible for us to make an informed decision around our participation in the programme at this time.

We understand that Amy’s withdrawal is connected to Tate denying the artist Jade Monserrat participation in this year’s programme and its organisation despite her being a member of the curatorial collective A Rumour or Waves. It is our understanding that this is due to her raising questions about the integrity of the institution after she spoke out about the chronic patterns of abuse she suffered from Tate donor Anthony D’Offay since 2012. This behaviour culminated in D’Offay sending her an image of himself holding a racist doll, something that has been known to the Tate institution and Maria Balshaw for some time.

As a feminist organisation we not only feel that Tate has not supported Jade Monserrat, but that by omission the institution has been complicit in the perpetuation of oppressive behaviours. Consequently we no longer feel that it is in line with our principals as an organisation to contribute to the Tate’s programme.

These continuous practices are further exemplified by the presence of a mural by Rex Whistler in the basement restaurant of Tate Britain. The mural depicts a hunting scene and in it we see portrayed images of a black child slave, a black woman slave and Chinese figures with exaggerated features, clearly implying mockery and preserving images of pain and suffering. These practices stand in contrast to the Feminist Library’s moral conduct and we see it as a pressing issue that needs to be dealt with effectively.
In addition, Maria Balshaw has made a number of statements that are clearly racist and anti-feminist that are directly contrary to our own aims and beliefs as a feminist collective. Through the process of reflecting on these issues and our relationship to Tate, we acknowledge that these issues are consistent with problems that underpin many – perhaps all – institutions. Institutions are not currently doing enough to serve people at the margins, including people of colour, women and working class people, and continue to be entangled with elites and to reproduce exclusionary and oppressive societal structures. Every organisation and institution is a work in progress. However, in light of the above we do not feel that Tate is demonstrating sufficient commitment to that progress. We believe that now is the time to try to decolonise and democratise the structural systems that benefit only the privileged. While we see the value of working within an organisation like Tate, and the potential of a space which is free to enter and owned by the UK population, at this time we choose to show our solidarity with anyone negatively affected by Tate’s practices and policies and to put our labour into creating our own programmes, outside of this institution.