Women’s Art Library participating in Vote100 event for Tate Modern

Curators from Goldsmiths are joining the Vote100 celebrations this month by contributing to a special event at Tate Modern to mark the centenary of the Representation of the People Act.

The Women’s Art Library (WAL) will collaborate with the South London Women Artists on a special Uniqlo Tate Late recognising the 100th anniversary of some women winning the right to vote.

Pillow Talk is a collection of women artists that captures stories giving a visual dialogue on women’s histories, experiences and psyches. Some 60 hand painted, printed, appliqued and sewn pillows explore diverse themes ranging from love, memory and loss, to science and the environment, to politics and war.

The pillows are laid out on the floor in the shape of the female symbol and visitors are offered a place to sit, read and have conversations.

At its heart, sits a mobile library full of publications, catalogues, magazines and ephemera about women artists, echoing the themes of the pillows and selected by the Women’s Art Library - women being inspired by women.

Paying homage to the centenary of women getting the vote in February 1918, Pillow Talk contributes to a collective multi-layered memory of women’s art history and the achievements of contemporary women artists.

Project lead curator Melissa Budasz said: “This mobile WAL offers a selection of titles and ephemera from installation artists, books on women and humour, performance artists, artists who challenge the male ‘gaze', books on the impact of politics and war in societies, and artists that address the effect of global warming and the impact on the environment. 

“The mobile library also contains ephemera of special art events and 'happenings' that are unique and rare, so it is a wonderful opportunity to open up the WAL resource to a wider public and for it to be part of this touring collaborative.”

The Uniqlo Tate late will be taking place on 23 February 2018 at Tate Modern, and will include a vibrant mix of art, music, film, drop in workshops, pop up talks and street food.