While blood is venerated in art or cinema, menstrual blood continues to be silenced. With the intention of breaking what continues to be a taboo, the hygiene products brand Kotex, owned by the Kimberly-Clark group, has created “Art’s Missing Period”, a gallery that gives visibility to art focused on menstruation around the world.
The campaign, created together with the agencies David London and Ogilvy Singapore, seeks to reclaim menstrual blood that, throughout the history of art, has been censored, forgotten or considered too sensitive to be seen, as well as pay tribute to all those women who have used it to express themselves.
Thus, it has created a virtual gallery that collects works of art that address the theme of menstruation or that have even been created using blood from the period. Kotex’s intention is to expose the natural process and invite reflection on the fact that the representation of bloodshed, often in acts of violence or sacrifice, has never been considered sensitive, but it has been done with menstrual blood.
“Arts Missing Period” highlights works from around the world, from pieces dating back to 35,000 BC. C, to more contemporary or experimental ones that have been rejected by museums and galleries and, consequently, removed from public view. The gallery is an interactive space that allows you to explore a room with more than a dozen paintings, each with its corresponding explanation and links to the artists’ websites or profiles.
The initiative seeks to change the representation and acceptance of menstruation in culture, and includes a short documentary film narrated by journalist Noor Tagouri, which questions why society accepts the blood that represents violence but not the blood of life and creation, and tells the stories of artists who have suffered the stigma of menstruation firsthand. It was directed by filmmaker Kathryn Everett.
Additionally, as part of the strategy, users will be invited to visit the gallery through outdoor advertising activations. According to Little Black Book, billboards and posters will be placed around museums in the United States, such as the Guggenheim, the MET, the Whitney Museum, or the MoMA, bringing the work directly to the art world and turning the streets into a gallery.
More info.: Art’s Missing Period
