Wien Kunst
ENG

Exhibition: UNPROTECTED

UNPROTECTED is modeled after the Supreme Court of the United States building and is organized in response to the US Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, leaving millions of Americans stripped of bodily autonomy.
UNPROTECTED featuring Nancy Baker Cahill, Carrie Chen, Vitória Cribb, Elana Mann, Martina Menegon, Operator, Sasha Stiles, and Hana Yoo; August 6 – November 4, 2022; Image courtesy of EPOCH
UNPROTECTED featuring Nancy Baker Cahill, Carrie Chen, Vitória Cribb, Elana Mann, Martina Menegon, Operator, Sasha Stiles, and Hana Yoo

The overturning represents not just a constitutional crisis of personhood and an abject abuse of power, but one with a growing range of cruel externalities beyond forced birth; including preventable infections, lost access to crucial autoimmune medications, and death. The state-sanctioned criminalization and surveillance of those seeking and providing reproductive care has a radial impact on the health care providers, family and friends who are involved in supporting pregnant individuals. Increased morbidities, poverty and incarceration will be inevitable and widespread outcomes.

It isn’t enough to go back to the precarious protections afforded by Roe, in which many, especially impoverished people of color, were already forced into dangerous decisions between their livelihood and safe healthcare. Many lawmakers have already vowed even more sweeping national criminalization of pregnancy and contraception (along with increased targeting of all bodies that are not cisgender, heterosexual and male) as soon as Republicans once again control both houses of Congress. Voting blue is not enough. Today, our voices must be heard in every possible forum, state and federal: Reproductive justice and equitable abortion access must be enshrined in the Constitution, immediately. In this historic moment, artistic interventions will play a critical role in provoking meaningful public discourse and action. EPOCH offers an accessible and interactive opportunity to engage the public through powerful artwork, shared resources, and funding for reproductive justice.

On August 13th, the entirety of the UNPROTECTED exhibition was released as a singular NFT containing a compilation of artworks by participating artists. A portion of the proceeds will go to support reproductive justice organizations. Click here to view a list of resources and organizations dedicated to reproductive rights and political action. Acquire the NFT at https://epoch.gallery/unprotected-nft/ (Edition of 5 + 9 AP)

Artists: Nancy Baker Cahill, Carrie Chen, Vitória Cribb, Elana Mann, Martina Menegon, Operator, Sasha Stiles, Hana Yoo

Exhibition: UNPROTECTED
Exhibition duration: August 6 – November 4, 2022

About EPOCH: EPOCH is an artist-run virtual gallery, launched in 2020. The project is the creation of artist Peter Wu+ which envisions the project as a “community-building platform supporting women, queer, trans, and artists of culture. Entering a space which is still unexplored, this project challenges the status quo with each exhibition. EPOCH’s goal is to react and reflect current socio-political situations while providing artists with a critical space for people to engage their works virtually”.

Address and contact:
EPOCH
www.epoch.gallery
email: info@epoch.gallery
instagram: @epoch.gallery, twitter: @epoch_gallery