30 Sep 2022

How do you view female gender roles?

Mandeville Contemporary is a program that gives Loreto Toorak students in Years 9 and 10 the opportunity to explore cultural, social and political issues through contemporary art. Students visit contemporary art exhibitions and then curate their own exhibition as a response, providing commentary on the central themes and ideas expressed by local artists. 

This year our students worked on developing a response to Michelle Hamer’s exhibition at Mars Gallery, “Relax, We’re Doing Great.” Hamer’s works collected the language of the last two years in lockdown, with strong themes of introspection and social movements.

Students using markers to the art installation on the window

Part of this response included installing a mural, installed on the glass windows overlooking Winifred Square, that reflected on the language and the identities of gender roles. The windows featured four types of female gender roles: a feminist working in a traditionally masculine industry, a non-binary feminist and human rights advocate, a stay-at-home feminist, and a celebrity feminist. The mural asked, “How do you view female gender roles?” The School community were invited to contribute to the work by adding coloured pins to the mural to represent their response to these themes.

Student using marker to the art installation on the window