NATIONAL GALLERY 200TH ANNIVERSARY

A herd of topless women milked by machines stormed The National Gallery with performance art as a critique of their 200th Anniversary Celebration

‘Milk is NOT Human(e)’

A group of women took part in a public performance art where they were milked by machines, in front of the 200th Anniversary Commemorative Light Show for The National Gallery. The organiser, Artist Stephanie Lane of SPECIESISM.WTF, argues that The National Gallery is not inclusive of all sentient beings, particularly nonhuman females, but rather only depicts nonhuman animals as commodities throughout the gallery collections, further perpetuating animal cruelty and speciesism which is not fully representative of our modern cultural views and shifting perspectives. The National Gallery prides itself on being ‘the people’s gallery’, but their current collections do not represent any modern British artists whose works focus on speciesism, or which offer varied perspectives to their audience on our ever-evolving relationship with nonhuman farmed animals, and the ethics of property status. A missed opportunity in a nation of so-called animal lovers.

‘Culture is the arts, elevated to a set of beliefs.’

SPECIESISM.WTF aims to collaborate with art institutions which claim to foster diversity, particularly those with contemporary art collections, by shedding light on the experiences of nonhuman animals and speciesism, in order to inspire critical thinking and foster a more compassionate world.