More than 270 members of the art community have issued a statement against the use of defamation to intimidate those who complain about sexual harassment and assault. Sitarist Anoushka Shankar, artist Dayanita Singh and photographer Shahidul Alam are among the signatories.
“The art world is amorphous in nature,” the statement said. “Social mobility is dependent on informal networking and personal and professional spaces cannot be easily separated. Survivors who publicly tell their stories face serious forms of retaliation.”
The stakeholders said people subjected to sexual harassment or assault are hesitant to reveal their identities because they fear the risk of losing work. “We strongly object to the use of defamation as a method to intimidate and silence survivors and those who represent their interests,” they said.
The signatories committed to ensuring that people who speak about their experiences are protected and that that they are not denied professional opportunities. “We respect the truth and stand in solidarity with those who come out with their stories,” the statement said.
They also called on their peers to join them in the cause. “We request them to rigorously advocate for open and supportive spaces that allow women, trans people, queer people, and those who have been disenfranchised by caste and class structures to voice their concerns and find support,” the statement said. “We pledge to collectively reflect, ideate and act on developing the necessary legal and informal support mechanisms to address these challenges. We will do our best to protect spaces for open conversations, and uphold basic codes of professionalism.”
The statement follows the rise of the #MeToo movement in India. Since October 5, dozens of women have taken to social media to give detailed accounts of the sexual harassment and misconduct they have faced across several sectors such as advertising, Tamil and Hindi filmindustries, the field of arts, music and dance, publishing, journalism, sports, religion and non-profit organisations. Some of the prominent names from the art world accused of sexual harassment or misconduct include sculptors Riyas Komu and Jatin Das, photographer Shahid Datawala and Subodh Gupta.
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