Controversial women-only art installation reopens, allowing some men to enter for ‘reparations’

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by The Art Newspaper, an editorial partner of CNN Style.

A women-only art installation accused of being “discriminatory” by a disgruntled man who was denied entry is reopening Thursday having successfully fought for its legal right to exist.

The Ladies Lounge, at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania, Australia, was created five years ago by artist Kirsha Kaechele, the wife of the museum’s founder and owner David Walsh.

The installation, complete with lavish decor and a butler serving champagne, carried on uninterrupted until Jason Lau visited Mona last year. When Lau was denied access to the Ladies Lounge on the basis of his male identity, he sued MONA for discrimination.

A tribunal in Tasmania’s capital city Hobart subsequently ruled that the Ladies Lounge must “cease refusing entry to persons who do not identify as ladies.”

Kaechele opted to close the Lounge, rather than opening it to men.

But the tribunal was not counting on the determination of Kaechele, who swiftly appealed its decision in the supreme court. Kaechele turned up to the hearing with a power-dressed, choreographed cohort of female supporters in bright red lipstick.

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In September the supreme court quashed the tribunal’s ruling, and MONA this week announced that the Ladies Lounge will reopen for a lap of honor from Thursday until mid-January, 2025.

Once again, the champagne will flow for any lady who cares to step inside.

As for men, they are still barred. But a ballot on MONA’s app, The O, will give a small number of men the opportunity to enter the feminine space of the Ladies Lounge for “domestic arts lessons and other reparations,” the museum said.

Despite Ladies Lounge’s pending closure, Kaechele stated it is a “living artwork” and hinted that a pop-up version might yet be seen “anywhere at any time, especially in centers of male power.”

In a statement, Kaechele welcomed visitors back to the installation, writing: “Through the court case, the Ladies Lounge has transcended the art museum and come to life. People from all over the world have been invited to contemplate the experiences of women throughout history and today.

“It is time to celebrate in the place where it all began — with the dedicated adoration of our butlers and copious amounts of champagne to toast this incredible chapter!”

A selection of new works and performances will be on display in the Ladies Lounge but, wishing to maintain the element of surprise, MONA has not disclosed full details.

The museum said, in a statement: “Entry for ladies, and exclusion for men, is included as part of the museum entry ticket.”

To mark the Lounge’s final days, Kaechele commissioned a new, limited-edition fragrance called “The Verdict.”

“The fragrance features an elegant bouquet of fine florals, lush green stems, juicy citrus and a hint of spice,” the MONA statement said.

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