Electrifying exhibit showcases domestic dilemmas facing women

WASHINGTON 鈥� Starting March 9, the National Museum of Women in the Arts will house an electrifying exhibit 鈥� literally.

Nestled among a collection of photographs, sculptures and installations from 36 female artists is a table of kitchen utensils with wires snaked through them. A live current lights up the colanders and ladles, and the hum from the voltage is amplified throughout the space.

鈥淭he idea of it, of course, is that the space that we think is very comforting and very natural to a woman, suddenly becomes very dangerous and threatening,鈥� Orin Zahra, an assistant curator at National Museum of Women in the Arts, said about Mona Hatoum鈥檚 jolting creation.

鈥泪迟鈥檚 that sort of dark humor that I think people will love.鈥�

Women House, running through May 28, tackles the topic of gender in the built environment. The 90-plus-piece exhibition is a sequel-of-sorts to the original 1972 Womanhouse show, and organizers said in the light of recent events surrounding the Women鈥檚 March and the Me Too movement, it鈥檚 never been more relevant.

Nestled among a collection of photographs, sculptures and installations from 36 female artists is a table of kitchen utensils with wires snaked through them. A live current lights up the colanders and ladles, and the hum from the voltage is amplified throughout the space. (Amy Mannarino; National Museum of Women in the Arts) — Nestled among a collection of photographs, sculptures and installations from 36 female artists is a table of kitchen utensils with wires snaked through them. A live current lights up the colanders and ladles, and the hum from the voltage is amplified throughout the space. (Amy Mannarino; National Museum of Women in the Arts;聽Mona Hatoum,聽*Home*, 1999; Wooden table, 15 steel kitchen utensils, electric wire, three light bulbs, software, and audio, 118 1/8 x 236 1/4 in.; Tate: Purchased 2002) (Amy Mannarino; National Museum of Women in the Arts)

Women House, running through May 28, tackles the topic of gender in the built environment.聽(Laurie Simmons, Walking House, 1989; Chromogenic print, 64 x 46 in.; Collection of Dr. Dana Beth Ardi; Photo courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York) — Women House, running through May 28, tackles the topic of gender in the built environment.聽(Cindy Sherman,聽*Untitled Film Still #84,聽*1978; Gelatin silver print, 13 1/2 x 16 1/8 in.; Courtesy of the artist and Metro Pictures, New York) (Photo courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York)

The 90-plus-piece exhibition is a sequel-of-sorts to the original 1972 Womanhouse show, and organizers said in the light of recent events surrounding the Women鈥檚 March and the Me Too movement, it鈥檚 never been more relevant. (Birgit J眉rgenssen, Ich m枚chte hier raus! (I Want Out of Here!), 1976/2006; Black-and-white photograph, 22 7/8 x 18 7/8 in.; Estate of Birgit J眉rgenssen, Courtesy of Galerie Hubert Winter, Vienna; 漏 2018 Artists Rights Society , New York/Bildrecht, Vienna) (ARS)

Woman House runs March 9 through May 28 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. (Zanele Muholi, Katlego Mashiloane and Nosipho Lavuta, ext. 2, Lakeside, Johannesburg, 2007; Lambda print, 30 1/8 x 29 3/4 in.; Private collection)

The participating global artists challenge these conventional ideas from many different viewpoints, both with honesty and humor. (Laurie Simmons, Walking House, 1989; Chromogenic print, 64 x 46 in.; Collection of Dr. Dana Beth Ardi; Photo courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York)

A chess board from Rachel Whiteread is covered with patches of fabric, much like a quilt. The pieces are common household furnishings and items, including an ironing board, a refrigerator and a stove. (Rachel Whiteread, Modern Chess Set, 2005; Carpet, linoleum, plywood, beech, plasticized resins, foil, white metal, fabric, enamel, varnish, aluminum wire, brass, ink, chrome, gloss paint, metal wire, foam, and fabric handles, 26 3/8 x 26 3/8 x 1 1/8 in.; Courtesy of the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York; 漏 Rachel Whiteread; Courtesy of the artist; Luhring Augustine, New York; Lorcan O鈥橬eill, Rome; and Gagosian Gallery)

Women House is a collaboration between The National Museum of Women in the Arts and La Monnaie de Paris. In addition to the exhibition, the museum is celebrating Women鈥檚 History Month with discussions, films and tours. . (Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still #35, 1979; Gelatin silver print, 15 7/8 x 12 3/8 in.; Courtesy of the artist and Metro Pictures, New York)

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鈥淭here are culturally embedded ideas about spaces that are considered feminine and spaces that are considered masculine,鈥� Zahra explained.

鈥淔or example we may have grown up seeing our moms and grandmothers in the kitchen, and we automatically assume that the kitchen is a feminine space.鈥�

The participating global artists challenge these conventional ideas from many different viewpoints, with both honesty and humor.

A chess board from Rachel Whiteread is covered with patches of fabric, much like a quilt. The pieces are common household staples, including an ironing board, a refrigerator and a stove. A print by Laurie Simmons shows a house perched on top of bare legs.

鈥淔or some people, the home is oppressive; for some people, the home is a shelter; and for some people, it鈥檚 about community,鈥� Zahra added.

鈥泪迟 shows a plurality, a multiplicity of viewpoints as to what home can mean to a woman.鈥�

Women House is a collaboration between The National Museum of Women in the Arts and La Monnaie de Paris. In addition to the exhibition, the museum is celebrating Women鈥檚 History Month with discussions, films and tours. .

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