Kirsha Kaechele gets candid on legacy of Mona’s Ladies Lounge as space reopens for one last month

In the wake of a crucial legal victory, Mona’s Kirsha Kaechele has opened up on the legacy of the women’s only Ladies Lounge as it admits guests again for one final month.

A male butler polishes the 91 Penises artwork by Peter Lundberg at the reopening of Mona's Ladies Lounge. Picture: Mona/Jesse Hunniford

The men who tried to “destroy” Mona’s now famous Ladies Lounge ended up “breathing air into its sails” and giving it a life of its own, artist and curator Kirsha Kaechele says.

The artwork reopened on Thursday after it was closed due to a protracted legal battle arising from an anti-discrimination complaint lodged by New South Wales man Jason Lau.

The Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT) ordered the women’s only lounge, curated by Kaechele, to allow entry to men following the complaint by Lau, who argued he was unlawfully barred from the venue.

Mona patrons enjoy the reopening of the Ladies Lounge. Site-specific installation with paintings, collectibles, mink rug and butlers. Picture: Mona/Jesse Hunniford

But Kaechele appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which overturned the tribunal’s ruling in September, saying it had misunderstood “what the Ladies Lounge was designed to promote and how that was intended to be achieved”.

To celebrate the legal victory, the museum has opened the lounge again for one final month before closing it for good.

Male butlers, masseuses, and dancing barristers will saunter through the space, attending to the needs of female guests, while performance artist Betty Grumble does a welcome “boogie”, arranges flowers, and recites Dadaist poetry.

Kirsha Kaechele at the Ladies Lounge. The Ladies Lounge at Mona is reopening. Picture: Jesse Hunniford/Mona

There will also be free champagne and opportunities for men to attend “domestic arts” lessons, giving them the chance to learn how to iron and fold laundry.

Kaechele, who is married to Mona owner and founder David Walsh, told the Mercury the court stoush had become part of the artwork itself.

“It’s still overwhelming and really powerful to feel the way that it speaks to people and to have the experience of all of these women coming together and rallying behind it – and not only women but men, too,” she said.

91 Penises, an artwork by Peter Lundberg at Mona's Ladies Lounge. Picture: Mona/Jesse Hunniford

“So many incredible men, so many wonderful men … supported it, and then, ironically, the [men] who didn’t support it are really the ones who gave it life.

“They breathed air into its sails. So that’s funny, too, isn’t it? [It’s] interesting that by trying to quell it, by trying to destroy it and shut it down, they actually gave it wings.”

While this version of the Ladies Lounge will close permanently on January 13, Kaechele says it will continue to take on different forms in “any centre of male power”.

“Its next iteration is planned but I can’t say where,” she said.

Kirsha Kaechele at the Ladies Lounge. The Ladies Lounge at Mona is reopening. Picture: Jesse Hunniford/Mona

“I think it’s a beautiful work for women and men. I think for many men, it’s enlightening and interesting to swap positions, to change out of the traditional roles of power. And I think that’s educational and inspiring for them as well.”

Kaechele said the new artworks commissioned for the Ladies Lounge – including fibreglass sculptures representing a certain appendage – would clear up what she described as a common misconception about the space.

“Contrary to popular belief, we have many male members – on the wall,” she said.

Originally published as Kirsha Kaechele gets candid on legacy of Mona’s Ladies Lounge as space reopens for one last month