EXHIBITION
Protected Characteristics, curated by Jack Tan, Royal College of Art, 15-19 November 2010
Protected Characteristics is an exhibition marking the introduction of the Equality Act in October 2010. The exhibition brings together artists’ responses to the Act and features video, sculptural, photographic and performance works.
The Act introduces a duty for public bodies to eliminate discrimination and victimisation against people who have a ‘protected characteristic’. The duty also requires public bodies to advance equal opportunities and good relations between people who share a ‘protected characteristic’ and those who do not. The exhibition examines the ideas of characterisation, categorisation, the politicisation of personal traits, and the identification of cultural and social value. The Equality Act identifies core human ’characteristics’ that it aims to protect in law, these are Age; Disability; Gender Reassignment; Marriage or Civil Partnership; Pregnancy and Maternity; Race; Religion or Belief; Sex; and Sexual Orientation.
Artists: Gaea Todd, Dick Jewell, Helene U"ren, James Green, Jessie Brennan, Jo Longhurst, Karolina Raczynska, Mark Hayward, Matthew Pagett, Mia Fernandes, Nicolas Myers, Nina Mangalanayagam, Rachel Louise Brown, The Methods Lab.
Work shown: The Refusal (part I)