Artist Judy Chicago's Revelations Exhibition at Serpentine

Judy Chicago's latest major show, Revelations, opens at Serpentine North in London on May 23. Presented within Revelations is the visionary project "What If Women Ruled the World?" a participatory endeavor, first debuted in 2022, which empowers individuals worldwide to contribute to a collective vision of societal change. Through an innovative digital project, produced in collaboration with DMINTI that incorporates the Tezos blockchain, Serpentine and Judy Chicago are introducing web3 and blockchain usage to a whole new audience. 

"What If Women Ruled the World?" was developed in close collaboration with Pussy Riot founding member Nadya Tolokonnikova. The project was first imagined in 1977 and realized for Dior's Spring-Summer 2020 Haute Couture show at the invitation of the fashion house's first female creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri. Visitors are invited to enter a participatory booth to provide a video response to a series of questions. Each response will become part of a growing international archive that is underpinned by a proof of participation token powered by Tezos, the open-source project and a scalable, energy efficient, public blockchain chosen by artists across the world for their creative projects.  

Judy Chicago 

Judy Chicago came to prominence in the 1960s when she challenged the male-dominated landscape of the art world by making work that was boldly from a woman's perspective. Charting the lives and contributions of women and working with an early feminist iconography, Chicago challenged the male-dominated landscape of the art world. An artistic polymath, Chicago's work is characterized by a commitment to craft and experimentation, evident in her subject matter, methodology and choice of materials.

She is an influential artist, author, feminist, educator and intellectual, and a 2022 inductee into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Throughout her six-decade career, social and environmental justice have been the driving force behind some of her most important projects as she continues to fight for equality in the art world for women and other marginalized artists and the protection of all living creatures. 

Revelations 

The exhibition focuses on drawing – a medium that is foundational to Chicago's practice. Moving counterclockwise around the gallery, Revelations traces the arc of the artist's career and brings together new, archival and never-before-seen artworks that address themes of birth and creation; the construct of masculinity; notions of power; extinction; and a longstanding concern for environmental justice. These intimate works on paper are amplified by multidisciplinary and participatory elements that allow visitors to uncover the breadth of Chicago's practice. 

Tezos' partnership with Serpentine underscores its commitment to supporting artists who challenge societal norms and inspire positive change. This is the latest project in the multi-year partnership between the Tezos Foundation and Serpentine which endeavors to foster artist-led blockchain projects and educate the public, alongside the Tezos ecosystem's dedication to innovation and creativity in the Arts and Culture sector.

"What If Women Ruled the World underscores how art and technology can not only co-exist, but also document an immutable dialogue between the artist and their audience. With Tezos as a driving force behind digital innovation, Judy Chicago's vision becomes a catalyst for meaningful change on a global scale," said Aleksandra Artamonovskaja, Head of Art at Trilitech, the adoption hub for the Tezos blockchain. 

The exhibit runs from May 23 to September 1, 2024.