Through iconic stories, characters and moments from over 120 years of moving image history, Goddess: Power, Glamour, Rebellion celebrates the women and gender-transcending superstars who shaped their own roles, took creative control and fought a system that tried to exploit them.
From the swagger of Mae West and glamour of Anna May Wong to the powerful punch of Pam Grier, this ACMI-curated exhibition salutes the groundbreaking achievements and impact of the screen’s leading gender revolutionists. Too often reduced to the status of bombshell, starlet and screen siren, these goddesses remain far more than stereotypes.
From the silent era to the #MeToo movement, the exhibition tells the remarkable story of how femininity on screen has evolved over the past 120 years. From the femme fatales that used their sexuality and intellect to manipulate men, to the uncredited black women of early twentieth-century films, the exotification of East Asian women and the hagsploitation of older actors.
Featuring never-before-seen costumes, original sketches, interactive experiences and cinematic treasures, including iconic outfits worn by Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Geena Davis and Margot Robbie, Goddess honours the artists who challenged narratives, defied expectations and transcended tropes.
Academy Award winner Davis and the Geena Davis Institute for Gender in the Media have also partnered with this year’s exhibit, a fitting alliance with Goddess, as the institute is the only global research-driven advocacy organisation working within the entertainment and media industry to create gender balance, foster inclusion and impede bias and stereotyping on screen.
The breadth of the institute’s influence is vast. From advocating for a less stereotypical portrayal of Muslim women in media, to inspiring Lego to remove gender bias from its toys, to pushing for diversity representation in advertising where women are 4-6 times more sexualised and less depicted as leaders. They work tirelessly, always with the motto in mind: if she can see it, she can be it.
Whether it’s Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Michelle Yeoh or Zendaya, today’s goddesses unapologetically occupy spaces and roles that shatter glass ceilings, project solidarity and reframe society through essential stories, singular voices and complex characters. They’ve fought convention and an industry built to confine them with collective power and fearless creativity to embody their own heroes and forge their own paths.
These women were often reduced to the status of bombshell, starlet and screen siren, though they were far more than sexist stereotypes. They overcame convention and an industry built to confine them with collective power and fearless creativity to forge their own paths.
It’s these nonconformists, rebels, agitators and rule-breakers across screen history that take centre stage in Goddess, as it celebrates the trailblazing women who shaped their own roles, took creative control and fought a system that tried to exploit them.
In addition to celebrating the more prominent figures, the exhibition highlights lesser-known Australian pioneers, including Orry Kelly, the Oscar-winning costume designer from regional NSW who made famously outrageous dresses for the likes of Marilyn Monroe, and Fearless Nadia, the actor from Perth who became Bollywood’s leading stunt woman and highest paid actress in the 30s, swinging from chandeliers, leaping from speeding trains and taming lions as she asserted herself into a male-dominated space.
Curated by Bethan Johnson, Goddess: Power, Glamour, Rebellion will run from April 5th to October 1st, 2023. For more information on opening hours and special events – including an on-screen conference with Geena Davis, Headdress workshops, curated tours, and extended visits – please visit ACMI’s official site.
