The Female Body Experiment – Grace Miller

The Female Body Experiment, a performance art piece by Grace Miller, forces the viewer to consider the censorship of the female body and how society’s patriarchal values limits women’s ownership and agency over their own bodies. Often the female form is forced to be covered, so as not to ‘distract’ men, or to ‘disgust’ others, or diminish her own ‘self-worth’. These presuppositions often feed into the wider narratives of ‘worth’ and ‘purity’, reinforcing misogynistic discourse about how women should behave to maintain conservative social values. In Art, the female form is often painted by men through the lens of lust, ownership, or victimhood. However, this piece, alongside the works of Dame Laura Knight, seeks to confront these issues.

This piece will consist of the artist standing on top of a plinth, wearing a flesh-toned bodysuit, alluding to the artist being nude. She will stand still, unreactive, and expression-less, and will record the reactions of the public.

Please see our Ethical Considerations Statement

During the performance, the Assistant Curator and a team of front of house staff will be present to distribute ‘consent to be filmed’ forms, and ensure the comfort of the artist.