Click to view the exhibition catalogue.
Sanitary Secrets Exhibition
March 2021
Melbourne Design Week >
View catalogue >
The Conversation article >
The Age article >
TripleRRR interview >
Radio NZ interview >
The Sanitary Secrets exhibition was a curated collection of 100 ‘pad ads’ (or period product advertisements) that were printed in Australian women’s magazines between 1920 to 2020.
These ‘pad ads’ were hung both chronologically and in themes to represent how their designs have contributed to these harmful norms of shame and secrecy. Stigmas that negatively affect the wellbeing and sexual health of people who experience periods.
In both the exhibition and this catalogue, each individual ‘pad ad’ was coded to indicate which of these themes were evident in the art direction and copy writing.
They included:
The misrepresentation of periods as a medical problem;
Coding the menstrual taboo through the use of the colour blue, high fashion modelling, white clothes, the confinement of women to private domestic spaces, traditionally feminine roles/employment/sports and the over sexualisation of young women; and
Modelling secretive behaviour between female friends, with males, between mother and daughters and through the design of packaging.
In order to get a response from consumers of these products, a survey was conducted. Ten of the ‘pad ads’ were shown in an online survey to gauge how much shame and secrecy they communicated (below).
The exhibition showed both quotes and data from the survey. What was positive to see was that the levels of shame and embarrassment are slowly improving. Maybe it’s the inclusion of more women in creative roles in advertising agencies that have had this effect. Or maybe it’s a greater awareness of empathy inthe producers of the ‘pad ads’.
Either way, the Sanitary Secrets exhibition encouraged graphic designers, visual communicators and art directors to question and address harmful normsin their work. It also encouraged the public to have a more positive attitude towards periods by questioning feelings of shame and secretive behaviours.
Period Pride Installation
Click to enlarge and read captions
Share the Dignity Collaboration
Click to enlarge and read captions
Bae L’Amour’s Performance
Click to enlarge and read captions
Panellists
Click to enlarge and read captions
Diva Cup Collaboration
Click to enlarge and read captions
