This feminist is bringing art to public spaces to raise awareness for bodily autonomy
FEMINIST sat down with Jasmine to learn more about her approach to art curation and her new cross-country art exhibition, BODY FREEDOM FOR EVERYBODY.
Jasmine Wahi
Jasmine Wahi is an art curator whose curatorial practice predominantly focuses on femme empowerment, complicating binary structures, and exploring liberatory strategies through the lens of intersectional feminism. In 2019 talk, she gave a TEDx talk titled after Nadiyya Waheed’s poem “All The Women In Me Are Tired,” and in 2023, she was a recipient of the Women’s History Month Award at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Currently, Jasmine is the Co-Director of Project for Empty Space, a nonprofit organization in New York City and Newark, New Jersey.
What does being a feminist mean to you?
I don't have a boilerplate answer for this, because I think it’s always morphing and evolving. But right now, being a Feminist is about advocating for EQUITY for all people. It’s about being intersectional in this approach to equity, safety, and joy. I’m continuously inspired by bell hooks (Rest In Power), whose work I re-read frequently. I don't think feminism is about Gender alone; rather, I think it's about taking and making space for those of us who have historically been marginalized.
You advocate for a multitude or social justice issues ranging from bodily autonomy to disability justice. How has this advocacy influenced your approach to art and activism?
I think my work is so deeply intertwined with my advocacy and my life that I can't really separate these things from one another. If I’m going to be totally honest, my curatorial practice, and the origins of PES (and now PES Futures) is rooted in a selfish desire to see myself in spaces that have historically left me (a First/Second Generation, South Asian American, Disabled and Chronically Ill, Woman) out. This root has grown into a broader desire to change a system(s) that I think is inherently flawed by taking up as much space as possible, and then creating new modalities of functioning and seeing in the world.
In 2023, you were honored by the Met Museum for Women’s History Month. In your opinion, why is gender equity so important to achieve in the art world?
Simple. And this answer transcends art, which is just a microcosmic ecosystem. Why do we need Gender Equity? Because we have never had it. We have never had Gender Equity in this nation (and world), we’ve never had Racial Equity, we have never had Education Equity, Disabled Persons Equity, Birthing Persons Equity, the list goes on. There are many of us who hold so many different intersecting identities that have never had even a glimmer of a shot at equity. And we are real living people who both deserve and demand to be treated with the same reverence and respect as everyone else.
You’re currently co-directing BODY FREEDOM FOR EVERYBODY, an innovative touring exhibition on bodily autonomy inside a truck. What can people expect from this exhibition?
Rebecca Jampol (our Co-Director) and I hope that people experience JOY, COMMUNITY(ies) BUILDING, and INFORMATION GATHERING when they come to the truck. This truck will feature work by over two hundred artists (the artwork rotates as we travel across the country); it will also have a space for reflection where people can record their reflections about Bodily Autonomy for an oral history archive. So people can expect to see really amazing artwork by artists thinking about Reproductive Justice, Queer Liberation, and/or Trans Joy. And they can expect to meet new friends, and get information on how to get involved in the ongoing push for Body Freedom.
Why was it important for you to incorporate public art and cross-country travel into the BODY FREEDOM FOR EVERYBODY exhibition?
These are issues that impact everyone across the country! We want to make sure that our care isn't just concentrated on one area (the Northeast Coast), but that we’re holistic in our idea of community. We also know that there are a lot of places where static exhibitions and open gatherings around the specific topics of Repro Justice, Queer Liberation, and Trans Joy, might not be able to happen for one reason or another, so a mobile truck is a way to get around that. We are REALLY excited to meet new folks on our trip, and hopefully build a lifelong coalition around these essential freedoms.
One of the key objectives of your exhibition is to carry bodily autonomy into the conversation for the upcoming November election. Why is now such an important time to rise up for body freedom for everybody?
There is a lot at stake this election cycle, and not just for the Presidency. We want to make sure that people know that their votes make a difference, especially at the local level. And, perhaps more importantly, we want people to know that NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, WE WILL BE HERE. Birthing people will still be here giving birth, or choosing not to. Queer and Trans Folks will still be here, living in truth and joy. We persevere no matter what happens- and we take care of each other. So yes, in some ways this is about engendering interest in local politics (where it matters), but is about throwing up our bat signal and saying ‘we’re here, for each other, always.’
Queer liberation and trans joy are also central to this project. How can we all ensure that our feminism is inclusive towards the LGBTQ+ community?
I wish I had the perfect answer for this, but I do not. Here’s my attempt: if we stop thinking about Feminism as rooted around Cis-Women and start thinking about it as Equity for All of Us, then we will be inclusive in our thinking. If we recognize that our Gender Identities intersect with all of the other identities that we hold within ourselves, we will be inclusive. If we divest from narrow minded and myopic constructs of who is allowed, we will truly embrace Feminism as it's meant to be.
How can our community support your cross-country tour?
Our biggest need right now is FUNDING. People can donate via Kickstarter until May 10, 2024, or by visiting our website at www.bodyfreedomforeverybody.org or @bodyfreedomforeverybody on IG.
Our second need is participation- at our Truck Stops and Online!! This entire project will eventually turn into a digital archive where people from all over the country can share their creative work around Bodily Autonomy. You’ll be able to find information about how to participate both IRL and digitally over the next couple of weeks (you can sign up for email updates there, too).
