FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ARTISTS FIGHT BACK AFTER UN CENSORSHIP OF ART EXHIBIT
Determined to move forward, artists launch 'UNcensored' exhibition and seek a new venue after United Nations shutdown.
New York, NY – February 2025 – Just weeks before its scheduled debut at United Nations Headquarters, Rules, Responsibilities, Restraints: Women’s Pursuit of Equity, an exhibition about women’s labor and rights—was abruptly stripped of its previously secured endorsement from the European Union Delegation. This was not a financial sponsorship, but an official endorsement—a necessary requirement for the exhibition to be shown at the UN. Without this backing, the exhibition, which was meant to be displayed in the highly visible UNHQ Visitors’ Lobby, was shut down, taking away a chance to bring global attention to human rights, artistic expression, and freedom of speech.
With their UN exhibition silenced, the artists are now racing to find a new venue in New York City—at the very moment these conversations should be front and center. Refusing to let their work be censored, they are rallying community support to make sure the exhibition finds a platform where it can be seen and heard. In response to the UN’s decision, they have rebranded the exhibition as UNcensored, a powerful statement against the suppression of free speech and challenging artistic work.
The exhibition, featuring work by American sculptor Sawyer Rose (The Carrying Stones Project) and French painter Fleur Spolidor (The Swimsuits Series), was set to open alongside the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) and the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration on women’s rights—a moment meant to celebrate progress toward gender equity. Yet, in a striking contradiction, the EU Delegation pulled its endorsement just two weeks before opening, citing the 'challenging global context.'
"It’s getting harder to have honest conversations about equity and human rights," said Sawyer Rose. "If even an exhibition about women’s labor and rights is considered too risky, that tells you everything. These are exactly the kinds of discussions we should be putting front and center, not shutting down."
"This is beyond frustrating," said Fleur Spolidor. "Nothing about our exhibition has changed since it was first approved. We spent years planning this, got our endorsement, followed every rule—then, at the last minute, it’s pulled. This isn’t just about our work being canceled; it’s about who gets to have a voice in these spaces. If art can’t challenge people, what is it for?”
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What’s Next: Finding a New Venue & More Visibility
In response to this sudden act of censorship, Rose and Spolidor are actively looking for a new venue in New York City—whether a museum, gallery, university, or temporary pop-up space—to showcase the exhibition. With the show ready for display and media interest already building, this presents a unique opportunity for an institution to host an exhibition that now carries even greater cultural and political significance.
The artists are also calling on journalists, arts organizations, and advocacy groups to help amplify this story and raise awareness about the growing restrictions on artistic expression in today’s political climate. With the NEA directing more 2025 grant funding toward projects celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary, and recent shifts in the Kennedy Center’s board under the current administration, the arts are increasingly being shaped by political influence.
These developments highlight a troubling trend: the narrowing of creative spaces where freedom of speech and artistic expression can thrive.
The cancellation of this exhibition is part of a much larger fight for artistic freedom. When art that challenges the status quo is silenced, it’s not just the artists who lose—it’s all of us.
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How You Can Help
📍 Venue Support: If you or your organization can host the exhibition, even temporarily, please reach out. We’re flexible and can adjust the show’s size to fit your space.
📰 Press & Media: Journalists interested in covering this story can contact us for interviews, images, and additional details.
📢 Advocacy & Outreach: If you work with a museum, nonprofit, or advocacy group that supports artistic freedom, we’d love to connect.
For all inquiries, contact us here.
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About the Artists
Fleur Spolidor is a French painter whose work explores themes of women’s rights, history, and cultural representation. The Swimsuits Series uses surreal imagery to symbolize the societal challenges women face.
Sawyer Rose is an American sculptor and activist recognized for The Carrying Stones Project, a body of work that blends sculpture with data visualization to highlight the disproportionate labor burdens placed on women.
