‘Like seeing society unravel': Kirsha Kaechele's unlikely return to the Gold Coast is a genius fit

The Age

2 days ago

The first time Kirsha Kaechele visited the Gold Coast, on one of her early trips to Australia about 15 years ago, she was mortified.
'I was depressed. I felt suicidal. I thought, 'this is the fall of Western Civilisation',' the American-born artist and curator says.
Whether earnest or exaggerated (with Kaechele, the line is often imperceptible), her frank impression cuts to a familiar feeling. For all its beauty, gaudiness remains a hallmark of Queensland's storied Glitter Strip.
'I walked the mall and must have passed a McDonald's or some kind of fast food chain,' Kaechele says.
'I felt like I was seeing society unravel … I vowed never to come back.'
Kaechele, now an Australian resident after marrying Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) founder David Walsh in 2014, has evidently faltered on her pledge, returning to the Gold Coast for the interstate debut of Ladies Lounge, one of her most celebrated works.
The living installation, part of Mona's program since 2020 and the source of much controversy, including two court cases, will enjoy a 10-day residence at the Home of the Arts (HOTA) as part of this year's Bleach* festival.
'I got a call from [Brisbane artist and Bleach* artistic director] Michael Zavros, whom I respect and adore as an artist, and he asked if I would participate in this exhibition,' Kaechele explains.
'He had been forced by his daughters to invite me. [They] really run the show.'
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In contrast to her views on Cavill Avenue, Kaechele speaks highly of HOTA – 'this museum is excellent,' she says – and the city's suitability to host her work.
'I've always been attracted to a challenging or unlikely context for my work,' she says.
'As a cultural destination, I had no interest whatsoever in visiting the Gold Coast. But as a context for artwork, I found it fascinating and far more interesting than other invitations I received from Sydney or Melbourne.'
Kaechele was taken by the city's reputation for 'toxic masculinity' and flagrant displays of shirtless machismo, but first she wanted Gold Coast City Mayor Tom Tate's blessing.
'We met for drinks – he slammed cognacs, I slammed margaritas,' Kaechele says, though the mayor's team did not verify this anecdote.
'I expressed that I was really concerned about the possibility of the Gold Coast being sued. This is a public institution, it's not Mona, so there's a responsibility in taking on an artwork like this.'
Last year, NSW man Jason Lau complained to Equal Opportunity Tasmania after being denied entry to the Ladies Lounge – an art-filled space that only admits women – during a visit to Mona in April 2023. The matter was referred to the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, and Mona was ordered to either close, remove, reform or allow men to enter the lounge.
Kaechele opted to close the space and appeal to the Supreme Court of Tasmania. In September, Acting Justice Shane Marshall ruled the lounge was not in breach of anti-discrimination law and permitted the installation to re-open and continue refusing entry to men.
According to Kaechele, Tate was not dissuaded by the legal saga, even volunteering to be a butler, a role that sees men permitted to the lounge to dote on female guests, pouring champagne and offering massages.
Kaechele is adamant Tate will make a cameo as a butler, alongside American contemporary artist Jeff Koons, who also features on the Bleach* lineup.
Tate, meanwhile, tells this masthead: 'I did apply for the butler job at the Ladies Lounge, but I was rejected!'
As for what visitors can expect, Kaechele says the Gold Coast installation maintains its original vision, 'to create a special, intimate and deeply bonding experience for women' and 'an experience of rejection for men'.
It's an important part of the work, she says, though she adds her exclusionary stance has somewhat softened as a result of court proceedings.
'I heard men when they said they were upset that they couldn't come in, so I've adjusted the artwork slightly to include a butler training area outside of the Ladies Lounge, where men may apply for a position.'
This will see men practice their massage and ironing skills, the latter while holding a 'baby' in the form of a smooth solid bronze sculpture.
'The ones who are really good at all of the tasks, and look good in a tuxedo and have wonderful manners … can come in as butlers,' Kaechele says.
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The Ladies Lounge will be accompanied by The Complaints Department, a new installation from Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist and long-time collaborator Tora López.
Described as Severance meets customer service centre, the performance piece is an invitation for anyone to air their frustrations, so long as they have direct experience and knowledge of the issue they are complaining about.
López said the project was born out of an 'intense' legal housing situation in New York. 'I had to complain so much through city agencies and through a lawyer,' she explains.
'So I got interested in complaining and learning how to complain, and what makes a good complaint.'
Kaechele is no stranger to complaints, and has welcomed criticism of her work, including during her legal dispute with Lau. 'He's the Ladies Lounge's Prince Charming. He kissed the work and brought it to life,' she says.
'If it wasn't for Jason Lau, the work would have had a much smaller life.'
And if she's worried about how a feminist work might land in a once-detested destination teeming with hypermasculity, she certainly doesn't show it.
'It's the most uncomfortable piece I've ever done, [and] for the questioning visitor, there are many problematic layers,' Kaechele says.
'But a key part of the work, and maybe my favourite part, is that I really enjoy myself. I'm a hedonist, so I love going in, getting my feet massaged, looking at these handsome men, watching them strip down and having them serve me … it's truly beautiful and transformative.'