In response to concerns about the proposed Religious Discrimination Bill, The Soup Collective launch their latest participatory art work this week at Moonah Arts Centre in Tasmania.
Over the last nine months 50 lesbians aged from the cusp of 50 to 88 have developed and made an installation in the form of a lesbian church, The Church of Harridans Witnessers. The exhibition invites visitors to engage in a conversation about the right of religions to discriminate.
“We acknowledge that religions have a right to hold their own beliefs, but we don’t agree that they have right to discriminate against groups such as LGBTIQ+ people and others.”
“We are concerned about the impact of this bill should it become law, and the implication that it will over-ride our Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Act.”
The exhibition has been arranged so that the space becomes a sanctuary with mosaics, sound, textiles, paintings and books. Each day a member of the Soup Collective will be present to talk with visitors about the proposed Bill and their thoughts about religious freedoms and rights.
The Soup Collective comes together to give voice to the concerns of older lesbians. It provides a way for them to engage in art making in an environment where everyone’s contribution is valued. This is the third participatory art installation that the collective have developed, but their first solo exhibition.
“The great thing about this art work is that so many older lesbians have had a hand in its development and making. Some are artists, but for others it has been the first time they have engaged in making art in this way.”
The exhibition opens on Thursday 10 February at 6:00 pm and continues until February 26 at Moonah Arts Centre, 23 – 27 Albert Road, Moonah.
OIP Staff
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