Elsie (and Minnie) is a solo exhibition by Zanny Begg that reflects upon the origins of the refuge movement in Australia and the state of gendered violence today.
17 June – 5 September 2025
UTS Gallery
Named for the two homes occupied by the first Australian refuge for women escaping domestic violence, established in Glebe in 1974, the exhibition reflects upon the activism that underpins the refuge movement from the 1970s to today.
The title Elsie (and Minnie) refers to the names on the front of the two houses of the first women's refuge, a tradition that continues with many women's refuges being given women's names. This new video installation will explore the vulnerability and care of a mother and child (Minnie is a common nickname for babies) and the female friendship, rivalry, proximity, intimacy and love that inspired the early refuge movement.
Elsie (and Minnie) features interviews with founders of Elsie and a contemporary performance that explores a future without patriarchal violence. The installation will draw on diverse references, including Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story The Yellow Wallpaper (1892), an early exploration of coercive control, and footage from a 16mm experimental film, Elsie, A study of a Collective, shot inside Elsie in 1975.
A display of archival material related to the women’s refuge movement in Australia, comprised of institutional and private loans, will be displayed concurrently at UTS Library. The exhibition will be complemented by a suite of public programs with key advocates and researchers in the field and a live performance series by choreographer Sela Vai.
About the artist
Gallery directions
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.
Banner image: Elsie: A Study of a Collective, 1975, film by Lis Rus and Tina Słoń (still). © Lis Rus and Tina Słoń 1975.