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The Arts Intel Report

Monica Sjöö: The Great Cosmic Mother

Monica Sjöö, The Goddess at Avebury & Silbury, 1978.

Nov 18, 2023 – Feb 25, 2024
30 Pembroke Street Oxford, UK, OX1 1BP

Amy Bud, who co-curated this exhibition, began researching Monica Sjöö (1938–2005) five years ago. It was no easy task, as information on the late feminist, environmentalist, writer, and artist was nowhere to be found on the internet at that time. An important figure in Britain’s Women’s Liberation Movement, the Swedish-born Sjöö supported the Goddess movement—a belief system that rejected Abrahamic religions and worshipped the divine feminine. She followed a Neo-Pagan calendar and frequently took part in ancient ceremonies and rituals. According to a recent article in The World of Interiors, Sjöö “never worked in a formal studio, instead using her living room or setting up enormous wooden boards within her surroundings in the open.” This retrospective showcases 40 years of Sjöö’s artwork, as well as her writing, photographs, banners, posters, and personal documents. —Jeanne Malle

Travels to: Moderna Museet, Malmö (March 23 – August 9, 2024)

Photo: © Monica Sjöö Estate/courtesy of Monica Sjöö Estate and Alison Jacques, London