A Woman You Thought You Knew

A Woman You Thought You Knew brings together works primarily from the KADIST collection that explore world-building as a means to resist, transform, and anchor historical junctures into the contemporary. The works examine intersectional narratives of the construction and deconstruction of gender, womanhood, and femininity, with trans perspectives and the racialized subject. They bring forth overlooked or unwritten stories of women’s role in history, memorializing narratives of women’s labor histories, and dislodging them from conventional records. The exhibition draws from literature and storytelling to bring forth accounts of utopia, science fiction, and mythology to underscore feminist perspectives in history and what we can learn from these narratives today to achieve a post-patriarchal future. 

A Woman You Thought You Knew explores the complex, diverse, and resilient spirit of women, feminist, and trans perspectives, inviting viewers to reflect on the past and challenge the present in order to construct a more equitable future. The exhibition is complemented by Worlds World Worlds in The Screening Room. The exhibition draws on shared themes across the KADIST collection and aims to make the breadth and diversity of over 2,200 artworks representing over 1,400 artists at KADIST’s hubs in Paris and San Francisco. The exhibition is co-curated by Shona Mei Findlay and Lauren Pirritano and borrows its title from a work by Sin Wai Kin.