Written by Fleur Spolidor | Edited by Karin Luner
“The Swimsuits series” Exhibition at the Jay Heritage Center in 2023. Photo: Belkis Hull.
Fleur Spolidor, MFA, is an eco-conscious visual artist whose work addresses critical issues such as women’s rights and climate change. She has been awarded two grants by the New York State Council on the Arts for her work on women’s rights. While in the Netherlands during the pandemic, Spolidor was awarded a grant for curatorial projects by the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds and was selected as a mentee in the 2021 NCWCA Mentorship Program in San Francisco. Spolidor recently received an artist certification by the City of New Rochelle, NY.
Spolidor is a member of the Northern California Women’s Caucus for Art in San Francisco. She is a scholarship recipient who earned her Master’s degree in Contemporary Art History from the University of Paris-Nanterre. Her works are included in both private and public collections across Europe and the United States. Notably, as an engraver, she was selected to design the commemorative plate placed beneath the gold-leafed Pyramidion of the Concorde Obelisk in Paris. Born and raised in Paris, France, Spolidor currently lives and works in Westchester County, NY.
More info: www.artefleur.com | @artefleur
Spolidor received two grants from the New York State Council on the Arts and administered by Arts Westchester: the first in 2023 for “The Swimsuits Series: A Pictorial Reflection on Women’s Rights,” and the second in 2024 for her project, “The Unforgiving Yardstick: A Look at Women’s Roles and Struggles in Westchester County”.
The first seven paintings of the “The Swimsuits series” were on display at the European Union delegation to the United Nations, from February 2023 to August 2023 and during CSW 67.
The finished twelve paintings were on display at the Jay Heritage Center in Rye, NY, Oct–Nov 2023 and a destination during New York State’s Path Through History Weekend 2023.
“The Unforgiving Yardstick: A Look at Women’s Roles and Struggles in Westchester County” exhibition will be on display from March 2025 to March 2026 at the Square House Museum in Rye, NY, with support from the archives and collection of the Rye Historical Society.
(UN)CENSORED
Shana Nys Dambrot
March 20, 2025
“The Swimsuits Series: A Pictorial Reflection on Women’s Rights,”was scheduled to be on display at the United Nations Headquarters for CSW 69 in March 2025, alongside Sawyer Rose “The Carrying Stones Project” for their two artists exhibition Rules, Responsibilities, Restraints: Women’s Pursuit of Equity , but the show was canceled two weeks before installation.
“Rules, Responsibilities, Restraints: Women’s Pursuit of Equity” was meant to be a women’s rights and labor exhibition on display at the UN Headquarters visitors lobby a highly-visible public space during the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), coinciding with Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day. But the show was abruptly canceled two weeks before opening. Despite two years of planning and support from the European Union Delegation, the show was suddenly deemed too risky in an era where terms like “equity” and “inclusion” are being suppressed. Artists Fleur Spolidor and Sawyer Rose, however, refused to be silenced. With the Support of Karen Gutfreund, a feminist, activist curator with exhibitions such as Agency: Feminist Art and Power, their canceled exhibition evolved into “(UN)censored,” a rallying cry against the erasure of women’s rights. On display from March 7th to March 23rd in Brooklyn, NY.
Preparing a show for UNHQ was a lengthy process, characterized by a juried selection and numerous revisions.
- “It all started when a representative from the European Union Delegation to the UN came to my open studio and commented that my paintings reflected exactly the delegation’s women’s rights agenda. I was invited to show the series for CSW 67 in March 2023 and they ended up keeping the paintings for eight months in their office in NYC. From that experience, I researched how to show at the UNHQ itself. After finding out a solo show wasn’t possible, I contacted Sawyer Rose. I’m a big fan of her sculptures and work ethic in “The Carrying Stones Project”. The gallery space at the UN is not dedicated for art shows, it’s a space used by the different missions and delegations to present their research and programs. Our application had to be supported by data and solid research. We put together an exhibition proposal with our two series of work and called it “Rules, Responsibilities, Restraints: Women’s Pursuit of Equity”. After rigorous vetting, including multiple rounds of scrutiny on language, data, and messaging, the European Union Delegation formally endorsed our proposal. To be clear, this wasn’t financial sponsorship; the delegation only needed to sign off, giving us permission to present our application to the UN exhibition committee. The proposal was then reviewed and adjusted again by the UNHQ exhibition committee and officially accepted to be shown in the UN Visitors Lobby, during the 68th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 68, March 2024). But just three weeks before installation at UNHQ in 2024, we faced a major logistical setback: Sawyer’s sculptures required direct wall attachments, which were not permitted by UNHQ’s installation guidelines. With new installation plans, we resubmitted successfully for 2025, and CSW 69.
New twist in February 2025, with the new American DEI policy in place, the European Union delegation took away the Endorsement citing the “challenging global context”. The exhibition was abruptly canceled just two weeks before the scheduled opening during the critical 69th Commission on the Status of Women, which also marked the 30th anniversary of the landmark Beijing Declaration, a global commitment to achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls worldwide.
- Spolidor: “Nothing in our show changed. The only thing that changed was who’s in charge politically—and suddenly women’s rights, equity, and data-backed truth became unacceptable. Silencing these conversations won’t make these issues disappear, it will only make them worse.”
- Rose: “This is outrageous. If showing the basic realities women deal with around labor and rights is considered too controversial, that’s all the more reason to put it out there. Art isn’t meant to make us comfortable—it’s meant to make us think. This is us doing our jobs as artists.”
- Gutfreund: “I was outraged and quite despondent too when I learned of the cancellation of the exhibition for Sawyer and Fleur at the UNHQ. My curatorial practice has been dedicated to feminist and activist art and promoting women in the arts and telling their stories. I knew I had to get involved and do everything in my power to not have their important work cast aside and silenced.”
Fortunately, with the assistance of Curatorial Producer Karen Gutfreund and the support of US and European communities of artists, activists, supporters, and advocates, we were able to secure a new venue—an expansive 8,500-square-foot gallery in Brooklyn. This striking space provides the public with the opportunity to view all the artwork originally intended for the UNHQ exhibition.
“Rules, Responsibilities, Restraints: Women’s Pursuit of Equity”created to highlight women’s situation during CSW69 at UNHQ became (UN)CENSORED a symbol of resistance against cultural oppression, turning a devastating cancellation into a powerful public act of defiance.
What could be so frightening in this show about women’s rights and labor?
- The work of Sawyer Rose https://nationalwca.org/carrying_stones/
Rose’s large-scale sculptures from “The Carrying Stones Project” combine data visualization with personal storytelling to highlight the unpaid and often invisible labor disproportionately shouldered by women. Participants, representing diverse ages, races, occupations, and life circumstances, track their hourly activities—including paid work, caregiving, household tasks, and personal time. Rose translates this detailed data into visually compelling sculptures and photographic portraits, capturing not only the amount of women’s labor but also the emotional and human impact behind the numbers.
- The work of Fleur Spolidor https://www.fleurspolidor.com/swim-suit-series
Spolidor’s work in “The Swimsuits series: A pictorial reflection on women’s rights” uses powerful imagery to explore the societal constraints and expectations placed upon women, confronting issues such as women’s health, gender inequality, body image, and restrictive social norms. Her paintings reflect these themes through large-scale visual representations of the challenges women face, emphasizing the urgent global need for gender equity. In these works, the bathing suit is used as a symbol of vulnerability and insecurity—a revealing garment that can make women feel self-conscious and like a subject of constant scrutiny. “Gender roles in society means how we’re expected to act, speak, dress, groom, and conduct ourselves based upon our assigned sex. For example, girls and women are generally expected to dress in typically feminine ways and be polite, accommodating, and nurturing.” from Planned Parenthood on Gender Identity & Roles | Feminine Traits & Stereotypes.
The Swimsuits Series
Measuring women — Societal Standards
Photo “Smokey” Buchanan from the West Palm Beach police force, measuring the bathing suit of Betty Fringle on Palm Beach,
to ensure that it conforms with regulations introduced by the beach censors. 1925.
Photo of “Mimi Jones, civil right activist 1967.“ Credit Clennon L.King
“The Swimsuits series” twelve paintings themes are as follows:
- Bathing suit censor: The way women dress (or undress) has always been strictly regulated by laws. (Encyclopedia Britannica)
- Social History of American Swimming Pool: The impossible cohabitation between different races, genders, and social classes provoked violent conflicts in place of leisure. (“Contested Waters: a social history of swimming pools in America” by Jeff Wiltse.)
- Between Gold and Survival Skills: Worldwide, drowning claims an estimated 236,000 lives each year, and is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death. (CDC.gov)
- Pink tax: For every dollar men earn, women earn 77 cents. Women carry out at least 2.5 times more unpaid work than men. At the current rate, it will take 257 years to close the global gender pay gap”. (UN news)
- Body Dysmorphia: Individual suffering from a distorted body image. Social media doesn’t cause BD, but can amplify the condition. (National Institutes of Health (NIH)..gov)
- Breastfeeding: Because breastfeeding can be viewed through the lens of societal norms and sexualization, many women may feel uncomfortable or face stigma when nursing in public. (National Institutes of Health (NIH).gov)
- Aging Gracefully: Around the world, women often have pension balances that are 30-40% lower than those of men making their financial situation extremely precarious. (The World Economic Forum)
- Health Care: The United States joins just three other nations that have reduced access to abortion since 1994, Poland, El Salvador and Nicaragua.(Center for reproductive rights)
- Mental Load: This burden is still today mainly borne by women, due to its lack of visibility, this load has no time limit, it can be performed anywhere and anytime. (Sciencespo.fr)
- Violence against Women: According to estimates made by the WHO, around one in three (30%) women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner abuse or non-partner sexual violence at some point in their lives.
- LGBTQIA+ Justice: Bullying, persecution, and gender-based violence are just a few of the many ways that LGBTQIA+ persons can be subjected to discrimination and violence, as well as being denied employment or access to necessary medical treatment. Around the world, protests calling for the protection of LGBTQIA+rights are violently repressed. (aclu.org)
- Disability Justice: Women with disabilities account for 10% of all women globally. Women and girls with disabilities experience double discrimination: firstly as women or girls they suffer the same discriminations as any other women or girls, secondly because of their handicaps, they are more fragile and cannot defend themselves when facing predatory behaviors.(UNICEF).
“Bathing suit censor” (text for the UNHQ exhibition, vetted by the European Union Delegation and the UN Exhibition committee.)
This painting depicts a police officer measuring the length of a woman’s swimsuit. If the distance between the knees and the edge of the suit is too long, as appears to be the case judging by the red marker on the tape measure, she will have to go home and change or be charged for indecency and locked up in jail. But the woman stands proudly, seemingly unaware of the officer’s presence, while they both stand within a seashell, reminiscent of Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus.” The painting symbolizes the unattainable beauty standards set by historical figures like Botticelli’s Venus with her perfect contrapposto inherited from the antiquities, her flawless blonde hair and angelic face.
The woman’s swimsuit is superimposed with the naked body of Venus, highlighting the constant scrutiny and judgment society places on women’s bodies.
The way women dress (or undress) has always been strictly regulated by laws. For example, a French law from 1800 prohibited women from “cross-dressing,” specifically, wearing pants. This law was partially lifted in 1892 and 1909 to allow women to wear trousers while engaging in specific activities such as cycling or horse riding. The law was officially repealed in 2013, although it had not been enforced for many years.
Sources: Abrogation de l’interdiction du port du pantalon pour les femmes | Publiée dans le JO Sénat du 12/07/2012, p. 1534 Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli | Le Gallerie degli Uffizi, Florence, IT History of swimwear | Wikipedia Resisting the Male Gaze: Feminist Responses to the “Normalization” of the Female Body in Western Culture | Diane Ponterotto Journal of International Women’s Studies | Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts Censors, Swimsuits & Scandal: A History of Vintage Bathing Costumes | Theo St. Mane, June 14, 2019
Bathing suit: Sandro Botticelli, “Birth of Venus,” 1486
“Social History of American Swimming pools” (text for the UNHQ exhibition, vetted by the European Union Delegation and the UN Exhibition committee.)
At a swimming pool, in a green garden with tables and colorful umbrellas, a defiant and incredulous dark-skinned woman stands. She is presented with a gradient of skin colors, symbolizing her exclusion from this paradise-like setting. The juxtaposition of Piet Mondrian’s abstract painting on the bathing suit raises questions about modernity in a segregated world. This artwork was inspired by Dulcé Sloan’s segment on the Daily Show, “Dul-sayin’ – What Happened to America’s Public Pools?” in which she highlights the difficulties faced by African Americans in accessing public pools due to racism.
Jeff Wiltse, in his book, “Contested Waters: a social history of swimming pools in America,” explains how, as gender integration occurred, municipal pools became “sexually charged” spaces where “intimate and prolonged contact” between swimmers of different races, genders, and social classes provoked violent conflicts. When pools were reserved for men, both white and black swam in the same facilities. Women were bathing in solitude and modesty in their kitchens with a sponge and a bucket of water. When women asked to also have access to public pools, the exclusion shifted from gender to race, leaving African American women with little to no chance of accessing pools.
Sources: Segregation in the United States — Meaning, Facts. & Legacy | history.com
Late civil rights activist Mimi Jones on fighting for justice in the pool | NBC News, Aug. 11, 2020 McKinney, Texas, and the Racial History of American Swimming Pools | Yoni Appelbaum, The Atlantic, June 15, 2015
Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America | Jeff Wiltse, The University of North Carolina Press, May 2010 Mondrian and the Contemporary | Sotheby’s, Oct 28, 2022 “Dul-sayin’” | Dulcé Sloan, The Daily Show, Aug 10, 2021
Bathing suit: Piet Mondrian, “Composition with Yellow and Blue,” 1932
“LGBTQA+ Justice” (text for the UNHQ exhibition, vetted by the European Union Delegation and the UN Exhibition committee.)
An individual confidently walks by the pool, carrying a colorful umbrella with a white dove. The atmosphere is festive, with hanging lights and inviting pastel colors. Their gender-neutral swimsuit displays a beautiful work by Gerda Wegener, featuring “Lili with a feather fan.” Lili Elbe, originally known as Einar Wegener, was a pioneer in undergoing gender-modifying surgeries to transition into a woman both physically and legally. Unfortunately, she passed away due to complications after her final operation. Gerda Wegener, who married Einar in 1904, embraced Lili’s journey and depicted her as a woman in various paintings, showcasing their strong bond and affection. Through their art, they challenged traditional gender norms and gave us insight into their unique partnership.
Diversity in sexual orientation and gender identity is represented by the LGBTQIA+ community, encompassing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, and more. This diversity has existed throughout human history, with ancient artwork depicting figures that challenge traditional gender norms. Already in Neolithic and Bronze Age artwork a “third sex” human figure is represented with feminine breasts and male genitalia or without differentiating sex traits.
Sadly, LGBTQIA+ individuals face various forms of discrimination and violence, including bullying and denial of employment or medical care. Protests advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights are often met with violent repression globally.
Sources: AWARE | awarewomenartists.com/en/magazine/gerda-wegener/ LGBT Rights | Amnesty International, amnesty.org genderjustice.us Timeline of transgender history | Wikipedia
Bathing suit: Gerda Wegener, “Lili with feather fan,” 1920
“When we show our work to the public, we have meaningful conversations with our visitors. We share stories and anecdotes. We find connections and parallel experiences, we go past the colour of our skins, the country we grew up in, our religions or the number of kids we have or don’t have. We’re women. Together we laugh, we cry, we roll our eyes, we hug and pat each other’s shoulders. “This too shall pass” We will make it work, we will fight.”
~ Fleur Spolidor.
The cancellation coincided with the new administration’s escalating crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts through “Project 2025,” aimed at eliminating progressive initiatives from federal spaces. Across the country, institutions like government archives and museums are removing content related to gender equity, LGBTQIA+ rights, racial justice, and disability advocacy. Notably, artists Wendy Red Star and Andil Gosine had their DEI-themed exhibitions canceled at the Art Museum of the Americas due to this oppressive climate. Federal archives are also being purged of images and stories reflecting diversity and equity. The work of Spolidor and Rose, based on reputable global data, has fallen victim to this disturbing trend.
“The unforgiving yardstick:
A look at women’s roles and struggles in Westchester County”
“The unforgiving yardstick: A look at women’s roles and struggles in Westchester County” The exhibition runs through March 2026.” After “The Swimsuits series: A pictorial reflection on women’s rights”, twelve paintings about the inequalities that women face in society, Spolidor worked on a new project with the support of the Rye Historical society, researching and painting the portraits of ten celebrated women of Westchester County, their achievements and the difficulties they faced during their time.
More info: www.ryehistory.org
For the full exhibition and more about Fleur Spolidor, visit her website: www.artefleur.com
Follow her on Instagram @artefleur
0 Comments