The journey of the A-Portable

Abstract

This paper analyzes the case study of the artwork A-Portable (2001) by Joep Van Lieshout commissioned by the organization for abortion rights Women on Waves (WoW), as a pioneering example of art activism. When abortion was considered a controversial topic in society, this work has successfully contributed to sharing public awareness about the risks of illegal unsafe abortions performed in countries in which this medical practice was not allowed by the government. This abortion clinic inside a shipping container sailed the ocean in several sea campaigns, and later made its debut in the art world, such as in the Exhibition at the Venice Biennale in 2001. The A-Portable is not a stand-alone example in the history of feminism, and since the 19th century with the suffragist movements, art has been frequently used as a medium in feminist history. Other examples of art activism are mentioned in the paper, such as the public performance of the feminist Serbian artist Tanja Ostojić at the same Venice Biennale, and the more recent research of the American architect and author Lori Brown, who in 2013 published the book “Contested Spaces”, about improving the architectural features of abortion clinics for women’s wellbeing.

The following research takes into consideration several sources regarding the history of abortion rights and the action of WoW, to contextualize and explain the influence of art in the women’s emancipation process. Moreover, through an interview with Joep Van Lieshout, the artist’s point of view has also been crucial to find a complete answer to the research question. The final findings will demonstrate that art has always been a powerful media used by politics, and in this case, has created an opportunity for WoW to make a change in the public and private spheres. In the public, it served to stimulate people’s empathy around the topic of legal abortion, while in the private it created a safe space and a shelter from the violent opposition movements, finding physical and psychological help while performing this delicate medical procedure.