The Brooklyn Museum's exhibition "It's Pablo-matic: Picasso According to Hannah Gadsby" has drawn crowds and strong reactions since its opening. The exhibition presents paintings, drawings, and sculptures by Picasso alongside works by female artists in the museum's collection to explore the Spanish artist's troublesome legacy. While some reviews have been scathing, the museum stands by the exhibition, arguing that it was meant to prompt heated discussion. The exhibition has increased general admission by 51 percent over the weekend before.
The Brooklyn Museum has dismissed negative reviews of “It’s Pablo-matic: Picasso According to Hannah Gadsby,” which opened to the public today after being panned in ARTnews and the New York Times. The show, co-organized by Gadsby and Brooklyn Museum senior curators Catherine Morris and Lisa Small, features more than 100 works. Alongside many Picassos, there are contemporary works by Cecily Brown, Judy Chicago, Renee Cox, Käthe Kollwitz, Dindga McCannon, Ana Mendieta, Marilyn Minter, Joan Semmel, and Faith Ringgold. The collaboration with Gadsby came out of the 2018 hit Netflix special Nanette, which included heavy criticism of Picasso and his influence.
Comedian Hannah Gadsby's exhibition "It's Pablo-matic: Picasso According to Hannah Gadsby" at the Brooklyn Museum falls short of its promise to put women artists on equal footing with Picasso. The exhibition features only a few paintings by Picasso, with works by women artists from the museum's collection thrown in almost at random. Gadsby's signed quips on adjacent labels are juvenile and do little to engage with feminist scholarship or the avant-garde. The exhibition's focus on "stories" over art is symptomatic of our back-to-front digital lives, and gives audiences permission to turn their backs on what challenges them.
Comedian Hannah Gadsby's new exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, "It's Pablo-matic: Picasso According to Hannah Gadsby," aims to critique Picasso's misogyny and colonialist impulses by pairing his works with contemporary feminist art. However, the show's disregard for art history and its centering of Picasso as the only modernist worth critiquing undermines its revisionary mindset. While the exhibition brings some impressive works to the US, it fails to acknowledge the contributions of women artists who were previously written off as Picasso's "muses."
Comedian Hannah Gadsby talks about their new stand-up hour Something Special, which explores the theme of "queer joy" and is a political statement in itself. Gadsby also discusses their personal life, including their recent marriage, being on the autism spectrum, and identifying as nonbinary. They also address their famous feud with Netflix and their thoughts on calling out transphobic content in comedy. Gadsby's new special is a departure from their previous work, focusing on joy and healing rather than trauma.
Comedian Hannah Gadsby, who is genderqueer, has stated that they are not interested in discussing Dave Chappelle's anti-trans comments or having a sit-down conversation with him about his remarks. Gadsby believes that making jabs at Chappelle within their routine or engaging in a conversation with him would be unproductive personally and professionally. They also noted that conversations have hit a point where "we're not listening to people with lived experience anymore" these days.
Hannah Gadsby's latest standup performance on Netflix, titled "Something Special," offers a more positive outlook on life as they share personal stories about their new marriage and family anecdotes. Gadsby signed a multi-year deal with Netflix in the hopes of inspiring positive change in the notoriously transphobic industry. They also curated an art exhibition exploring the complicated and problematic legacy of Pablo Picasso. Gadsby opens up about their feelings on Dave Chappelle, the pandemic, and navigating the murky waters of the art world.
