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{{short description|American performance art piece}}
<!-- As of 2019, Sulkowicz accepts both ''she''/''her'' and ''they''/''them'' pronouns, as documented in thecut.com/2019/10/did-emma-sulkowicz-mattress-performance-get-redpilled.html. See talk. -->
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox artwork {{Infobox artwork
|title = Mattress Performance<br/>(Carry That Weight) | title = Mattress Performance<br />(Carry That Weight)
|image_file =File:Emma Sulkowicz, Mattress Performance, 19 May 2015 (cropped).JPG | image_file = Emma Sulkowicz, Mattress Performance, 19 May 2015 (cropped).JPG
| image_size = 300px | image_size = 300px
| alt = photograph | alt = photograph
| caption = Emma Sulkowicz ''(center right)'' with ''Mattress Performance'' at her graduation, 19 May 2015 | caption = Emma Sulkowicz ''(center right)'' with ''Mattress Performance'' at graduation, May 19, 2015
| artist = <nowiki>Emma Sulkowicz</nowiki> | artist = ]
| year = September 2014&nbsp;– May 2015 | year = September 2014&nbsp;– May 2015
| type = ], ]<ref name=endurance/> | type = ], ],<ref name=endurance /> ]
| material = | material =
| city = ], ], ], ] | city = ], ], ], ]
| url = <!-- Official webpage/site only: {{URL|example.com}} --> | url = <!-- Official webpage/site only: {{URL|example.com}} -->
}} }}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight)''|noerror}} {{DISPLAYTITLE:''Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight)''|noerror}}
'''''Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight)''''' (2014–2015) was a work of ] ] by Emma Sulkowicz, conducted as her senior thesis during the final year of her ] degree at ] in New York.<ref name=endurance>For "endurance performance art", Emma Sulkowicz (2 September 2014). , ''Columbia Daily Spectator'', 2:22 mins.</ref> Begun in September 2014, the piece involved Sulkowicz carrying a 50-lb mattress&nbsp;– of the kind Columbia uses in its dorms&nbsp;– wherever she went on campus. She said the piece would end when a student she alleges raped her in her dorm room in 2012 was expelled from or otherwise left the university.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/10/29/its-hard-to-ignore-a-woman-toting-a-mattress-everywhere-she-goes-which-is-why-emma-sulkowicz-is-still-doing-it/ | title=It's hard to ignore a woman toting a mattress everywhere she goes, which is why Emma Sulkowicz is still doing it | work=The Washington Post | date=29 October 2014| author=Soraya Nadia McDonald}}</ref> Sulkowicz carried the mattress until May 2015 when both students graduated. She and several other women took it to the graduation ceremony.<ref>Kate Taylor (20 May 2015). , ''The New York Times''.</ref> '''''Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight)''''' (2014–2015) was a work of ] which ] conducted as a senior thesis during the final year of a ] degree at ] in New York City.<ref name=endurance>For "endurance performance art", Emma Sulkowicz (September 2, 2014). , ''Columbia Daily Spectator'', at 2:22 min.</ref>


Begun in September 2014, the piece involved Sulkowicz carrying a {{convert|50|lb|adj=on}} mattress, of the kind that Columbia uses in its ]s, around campus. Sulkowicz said the piece would end when a student ]{{efn|Sulkowicz uses ] and ] pronouns.<ref name="McNamara-2019">{{cite web |last=McNamara |first=Sylvie |title=Did Emma Sulkowicz Get Redpilled? |date=2019-10-28 |url=https://www.thecut.com/2019/10/did-emma-sulkowicz-mattress-performance-get-redpilled.html |website=The Cut |publisher=Vox Media |access-date=18 December 2021}}</ref> This article uses feminine pronouns for consistency.}} in her dorm room in 2012 was expelled or otherwise left the university.<ref name=ignore>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/10/29/its-hard-to-ignore-a-woman-toting-a-mattress-everywhere-she-goes-which-is-why-emma-sulkowicz-is-still-doing-it/ | title=It's hard to ignore a woman toting a mattress everywhere she goes, which is why Emma Sulkowicz is still doing it | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=October 29, 2014| author=Soraya Nadia McDonald}}</ref> Sulkowicz carried the mattress until the end of the spring semester, as well as to the graduation ceremony in May 2015.<ref name="Taylor20May2015" />
The accused student, who was found "not responsible" in 2013 by a university inquiry into the allegations, called Sulkowicz's version of events "untrue and unfounded" and ''Mattress Performance'' an act of bullying.<ref name=VanSyckle20January2015/> Sulkowicz filed a police complaint in May 2014; according to the accused's lawyer, the district attorney's office said no charges would be brought because of a "lack of ]." In April 2015 the accused filed a lawsuit against the university, its trustees, university president ], and art professor ], Sulkowicz's thesis supervisor, alleging that they exposed him to gender-based harassment by allowing ''Mattress Performance'' to take place on campus as part of Sulkowicz's course.<ref name=lawsuit/>


Fellow student Paul Nungesser, whom Sulkowicz accused, was found not responsible by a university inquiry into the allegations, and police declined to pursue a criminal complaint against him, citing a lack of reasonable suspicion. Nungesser called Sulkowicz's accusation "untrue and unfounded" and called ''Mattress Performance'' an act of bullying.<ref name=VanSyckle20January2015 /> In 2015, Nungesser filed a lawsuit against the university and several administrators alleging that the school exposed him to gender-based harassment by allowing ''Mattress Performance'' to go forward.<ref name=lawsuit /><ref name="kutner_dec_2015">Max Kutner (December 10, 2015), , ''Newsweek''. Retrieved February 1, 2016.</ref> In 2017, the university settled the suit for undisclosed terms, and pledged to reform its disciplinary policies.<ref name="lawsuit-settled" />
The art world responded to the work with enthusiasm. Art critic ] called ''Mattress Performance'' "pure radical vulnerability" and one of the best art shows of 2014.<ref name=Saltz/> Journalist ] described the work and events surrounding it as "an increasingly bitter fight over truth and narrative," a triumph for the ] and a nightmare for the accused. Caught between defending Sulkowicz's ] and the accused's right to ], the university was criticized by both parties and their parents for its handling of the issue.<ref name=Bazelon29May2015/> The mattress, housed since May 2015 in Sulkowicz's parents' home, became an icon of a wider ] debate about the effect of ] on women's equal access to education, and how universities balance the competing rights of the accusers and accused.<ref name=Bazelon29May2015/><ref name=Sharp14May2015>Sonja Sharp (14 May 2015). , ''Vice''.</ref>


The piece stirred controversy with praise from art critics and criticism from some commentators. Art critic ] called ''Mattress Performance'' "pure radical vulnerability" and one of the best art shows of 2014.<ref name=Saltz /> Journalist ] described the work and events surrounding it as "a triumph" for the ] movement and "a nightmare" for the accused.<ref name=Bazelon29May2015 /> Caught between defending and enabling Sulkowicz's ] and Nungesser's right to ] and the university's written policies regarding confidentiality, the university was criticized by both parties and their parents for its handling of the issue.
==Background==

== Background ==
{{Main|Columbia University rape controversy}}
] ]
Emma Sulkowicz attended ] on the ], and in 2011 began a ] degree at Columbia University.<ref name=Grigoriadis21September2014 /> Sulkowicz alleges that she was slapped, choked, and anally raped by Nungesser in Sulkowicz's dorm room, on the first day of her second year in August 2012, during what began as a consensual sexual encounter.<ref name=Grigoriadis21September2014 /> Nungesser denies the allegation, insisting that the encounter was entirely consensual. In April 2013, 8 months after the encounter, Sulkowicz filed a complaint with the university.<ref name=Grigoriadis21September2014 /><ref name=Kaminer22Dec2014>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/22/nyregion/accusers-and-the-accused-crossing-paths-at-columbia.html | title=Accusers and the Accused, Crossing Paths at Columbia University | work=The New York Times | date=December 22, 2014 | author=Ariel Kaminer}}</ref> Sulkowicz says she filed a complaint after encountering two female students who said they had also been victimized by Nungesser.<ref name=ignore /> One was a former girlfriend who said she was emotionally abused during their long-term relationship, and stated that she later recognized their sexual relations as having been non-consensual. The other said that on one occasion Nungesser had moved toward her aggressively, grabbed her arms, and attempted to kiss her.<ref name="Bwog">{{cite web | url=http://bwog.com/2014/01/23/accessible-prompt-and-equitable-an-examination-of-sexual-assault-at-columbia/ | title="Accessible, Prompt, and Equitable"? An Examination of Sexual Assault at Columbia | date=January 23, 2014 | access-date=January 19, 2016}}</ref> Shortly after Sulkowicz filed a complaint, the two other students with whom she was acquainted also filed complaints with the university against the same student.<ref name=Young3February2015>Cathy Young (February 3, 2015). , The Daily Beast.</ref><ref name=NYT3May2014>Richard Pérez-Peña, Kath Taylor (May 3, 2014). , ''The New York Times''.</ref><ref name=Young20May2015>Cathy Young (May 20, 2015). , reason.com.</ref><ref name="JezebelJosie21May2015">{{cite web |date=May 21, 2015 |author=Anonymous | url=http://jezebel.com/i-am-not-a-pretty-little-liar-1705996719 | title=I Am Not a 'Pretty Little Liar' | access-date=June 10, 2015}}</ref> Columbia ultimately cleared him of responsibility in all three cases.<ref name="Kaminer22Dec2014" />

The case attracted wider attention when the three female students who filed complaints gave interviews to the ''New York Post'', which broke the story on December 11, 2013, without naming those involved.<ref>For interview with Sulkowicz that mentions the ''New York Post'', Christoph Cadenbach (May 2015), , ''Suddeutche Zeitung Magazin'', p. 2; for the ''Post'' story, Tara Palmeri (December 11, 2013), , ''New York Post''.</ref> In April 2014 Sulkowicz appeared with Senator ] at a press conference about ].<ref>, ], April 7, 2014.</ref>

On April 24, 2014, 23 students filed a federal complaint against Columbia and ], alleging violations of ] of the ], a law upholding gender equality in federally-funded institutions.<ref name=Bogler24April2014>Emma Bogler (April 24, 2014). , ''Columbia Daily Spectator''.</ref>{{refn|group=n|name=title9|] says: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." It was passed on June 23, 1972, in response to discrimination against women in universities and colleges, which included quotas, requiring higher grades from women, and offering them reduced choice in degree programs.<ref>, United States Department of Justice, June 23, 2012.</ref>{{paragraph break}} Five other students later joined the complaint against Columbia, which also alleged that the university was in violation of Title II, a provision against discrimination on the basis of disability, and the ].<ref name=Bogler24April2014 />}} Among other issues, the complaint alleged that the institutions discourage students from reporting sexual assault, that alleged perpetrators are not removed from campus, and that sanctions are too lenient.<ref name=Bogler24April2014 /> The Department of Education's ] opened an investigation in January 2015.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/12/columbia-sexual-assault-investigation_n_6458872.html | title=Columbia University Is Under Federal Investigation For Sexual Assault Cases | work=The Huffington Post | date=January 12, 2015 | author=Tyler Kingkade}}</ref>

On May 14, 2014, Sulkowicz filed a complaint with the ].<ref name=Bogler16May2014>{{cite news |author=Emma Bogler|title=Frustrated by Columbia's inaction, student reports sexual assault to police|url=http://columbiaspectator.com/news/2014/05/16/frustrated-columbias-inaction-student-reports-sexual-assault-police|work=Columbia Daily Spectator|date=May 16, 2014}}</ref> The district attorney's office interviewed Sulkowicz and Nungesser in August, but did not pursue charges, citing lack of ].<ref name=lawsuit />

== Creation and performance ==
]
]

Sulkowicz devised ''Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight)'' in the summer of 2014 as a senior thesis while at ] Summer School of Art and Music. Her first effort was a ] of herself moving a bed out of a room, accompanied by the ] of her filing the police report, which she had recorded on a cellphone.<ref name=Sulkowicz14Dec2014b>, at c.&nbsp;38:50 min.</ref> The mattress later became the focus of the piece.<ref name=Smith22September2014 /> Sulkowicz's thesis was supervised by artist ], a professor at Columbia. As the idea for ''Mattress Performance'' developed, Kessler and Sulkowicz discussed the nature of endurance art and the work of ], ], ] and ].<ref name=Steinhauer17September2014>Jillian Steinhauer (September 17, 2014). , ''Hyperallergic''; {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213215105/http://arts.columbia.edu/visual-arts/faculty/jon-kessler |date=February 13, 2015 }}, Columbia University School of the Arts.</ref> Sulkowicz described the work as "an endurance performance art piece". Sulkowicz told the ''Columbia Daily Spectator'': "I do think that nowadays art pieces can include whatever the artist desires and in this performance art piece it utilizes the elements of protest ..."<ref>, from c. 2:23 min.</ref>

Purchased online from Tall Paul's Tall Mall, the 50-lb (23-kg), dark-blue, extra-long twin mattress is of the kind Columbia places in its dorms, similar to the one on which Sulkowicz said that she was raped.<ref name=Grigoriadis21September2014>Vanessa Grigoriadis (September 21, 2014). , '']''.</ref><ref name=Sulkowicz14Dec2014b /> Sulkowicz spent the summer of 2014 creating the rules of engagement, which defined the parameters of the project. Written on the walls of her studio in the university's Watson Hall, these included that Sulkowicz had to carry the mattress when on university property; that it had to remain on campus when she was not there; and that she was not allowed to ask for help in carrying it, but could accept if help was offered.<ref name=Sulkowicz14Dec2014b /><ref>For Watson Hall, , from c. 2:00 min.</ref>

In early September 2014 Sulkowicz began carrying the mattress on campus.<ref>Noel Duan (September 9, 2014). , ''Elle''.</ref> A homeless man was one of the first to help. Sulkowicz told ''New York'' magazine: "He was the first person who helped without some sort of preconstructed belief for why they were going to help. He was like, 'Oh, look, a struggling girl—let me help her and be a nice human being.' That was probably the most honest interaction I had."<ref name=Battaglia28May2015>Andy Battaglia (May 28, 2015). , '']''.</ref> Sulkowicz kept a diary throughout, amounting to 59,000 words at the end of the work, recording the artist's experiences as well as the misunderstandings of commentators.<ref name=Battaglia28May2015 />

Sulkowicz said the work would end when Nungesser was expelled from or otherwise left Columbia, and that she would take the mattress to her graduation ceremony if necessary.<ref name=Grigoriadis21September2014 /><ref name=Smith22September2014 /> In the end Sulkowicz carried it to the graduation ceremony on May 19, 2015,<ref name="kutner_dec_2015" /> despite a request from the school that students should not bring "large objects which could interfere with the proceedings".<ref name=Taylor20May2015>Kate Taylor (May 20, 2015). , ''The New York Times''.</ref> Several women helped carry the mattress on stage. As Sulkowicz approached, university president ], who had been shaking other graduates' hands, turned away as if to pick something up, and did not shake her hand; the university said this happened because the mattress was in the way.<ref name=Bazelon29May2015 /> The next day posters appeared in ] near the university calling Sulkowicz a "pretty little liar".<ref name=Roy20May2015>Jessica Roy (May 20, 2015); , '']''.</ref>

After graduation Sulkowicz said she had known the university would not expel Nungesser, and had expected to carry the mattress for nine months, the length of a pregnancy, which was an important part of the work: "To me, the piece has very much represented a guy did a horrible thing to me and I tried to make something beautiful out of it."<ref name=Battaglia28May2015 />

== Reception ==


=== Reaction by the accused ===
Emma Sulkowicz (born 1992)<ref>, Emma Sulkowicz interviewed by ], Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, December 2014 (hereafter Smith 2014), c.&nbsp;48:50 mins.</ref> is the daughter of Sandra Leong and ], psychiatrists from ]. She attended ] on the ], where she was a competitive ]. In 2011 she began her ] degree at Columbia University, where she joined the ].<ref name=Grigoriadis21September2014>Vanessa Grigoriadis (21 September 2014). , ''New York Magazine''.</ref>
Paul Nungesser said in a December 2014 interview with ''The New York Times'' that the mattress performance is not an act of artistic expression, but instead one orchestrated to bully him and force him to leave Columbia.<ref>Sarah Kaplan (February 4, 2015). , ''The Washington Post''.</ref> He said that on the National Day of Action, protesters followed him around, carrying mattresses to one of his classes and taking his picture. He also said that he was not permitted to use written communications between himself and the alleged victim as evidence, and expressed disbelief that anyone could believe he was guilty even after his accusers failed to meet the low burden of proof used in the university hearing process.<ref name=Bazelon29May2015>Emily Bazelon (May 29, 2015). , ''The New York Times Magazine''.</ref><ref name=NYT>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/22/nyregion/accusers-and-the-accused-crossing-paths-at-columbia.html | title=Accusers and the Accused, Crossing Paths at Columbia University | work=The New York Times | date=December 22, 2014 | author=Kaminer, Ariel}}</ref> He also stated that since Sulkowicz's protest serves as her senior thesis, it is being supervised and implicitly endorsed by a Columbia faculty member.<ref name=NYT />


Nungesser's parents criticized the university, including its decision to let Sulkowicz take the mattress to the graduation ceremony: "This has been a deeply humiliating experience.&nbsp;... A university that bows to a public witch-hunt no longer deserves to be called a place of enlightenment, of intellectual and academic freedom."<ref name=VanSyckle20May2015>Katie Van Syckle (May 20, 2015). , '']''.</ref><ref>Rudi Novotny (June 2, 2015). , ''Zeit''.</ref> Asked by German ''] Magazin'' about her feelings on the treatment of her son at Columbia, Nungesser's mother said, "This is a feeling of lawlessness." His father said that he sometimes fears his son will leave the school as a "cynic" and a "suspicious man".<ref>Christoph Cadenbach: , ''Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin'', Heft 5/2015</ref>
Sulkowicz alleges that she was anally raped by another student on the first day of her ] year in August 2012, during what began as a consensual sexual encounter in her dorm room. The accused strongly denies the allegation, insisting that the encounter was entirely consensual.<ref name=Kaminer22Dec2014>{{cite web | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/22/nyregion/accusers-and-the-accused-crossing-paths-at-columbia.html | title=Accusers and the Accused, Crossing Paths at Columbia University | work=The New York Times | date=22 December 2014 | author=Ariel Kaminer}}</ref> Sulkowicz filed a complaint with the university in April 2013, and in October that year a university inquiry found the accused "not responsible."<ref name=Young3February2015>Cathy Young (3 February 2015). , ''The Daily Beast''.</ref>


In April 2015 Nungesser filed a ] lawsuit against Columbia University, its trustees, university president Lee Bollinger, and Sulkowicz's senior-thesis supervisor, Jon Kessler, alleging they exposed him to gender-based harassment and a hostile educational environment in allowing the project to go forward. Nungesser said that in so doing they damaged his college experience, emotional well-being, reputation and career prospects.<ref name=lawsuit /><ref name="kutner_dec_2015" /> His lawyers argued that Columbia allowed Sulkowicz to create and propose "performances depicting as a rapist" even though the university cleared him of any wrongdoing.<ref name=jointletter>Jessica Roy (June 25, 2015): , '']''.</ref> Among examples of what they described as "public harassment", they cited Sulkowicz's public display of drawings which the lawyers said depicted Nungesser's genitals as part of the project (Sulkowicz left open the question of whether these drawings were of him or stories about him<ref name=Bazelon29May2015 />), as well as depictions of the alleged sexual assault, as violations of Columbia's gender-based misconduct policy, which prohibits "unwelcome remarks about the private parts of a person's body" and "graffiti concerning the sexual activity of another person". The lawsuit alleged that Columbia was responsible because the university sponsored and supervised the project.<ref name=Schow22July2015>Ashe Schow (July 22, 2015): , ''The Washington Examiner''.</ref> The university's lawyers say the university is "not responsible or liable" for Sulkowicz's conduct<ref name=jointletter />
After hearing about Sulkowicz's allegations, three other students (two women and a man) filed sexual-assault complaints against the same student. The accused said the complaints were the result of collusion. In two cases the university found him "not responsible," and in the third, in which a woman said he had grabbed and tried to kiss her at a party, a verdict of "responsible" was overturned on appeal.<ref name=Young20May2015>Cathy Young (20 May 2015). , reason.com.</ref><ref name=Josie21May2015>Anonymous (21 May 2015). , ''Jezebel''.</ref>


On August 28, 2015, Columbia's lawyers asked that the case be dismissed, citing ] protections and arguing that Nungesser's lawsuit suggests Columbia was obligated to prevent Sulkowicz from speaking publicly on an important issue.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Neumeister |first1=Larry |title=University Defends Mattress-Carrying Project Against Lawsuit|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/university-defends-mattress-carrying-project-lawsuit-33392586 |publisher=ABC News |date=August 28, 2015 |access-date=August 29, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Neumeister|first1=Larry|title=Columbia Cites Free Speech In Defense Of Allowing Mattress Protest|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/columbia-mattress-protest_55e2200de4b0aec9f3538924|work=The Huffington Post|access-date=October 18, 2015}}</ref> The case was heard by Judge ] of the ], who dismissed the suit on March 12, 2016.<ref name=lawsuit>Max Kutner (April 28, 2015), , ''Newsweek''; , PaceMonitor.com.</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.newsweek.com/paul-nungesser-columbia-mattress-lawsuit-dismissed-436273 | title=Lawsuit Against Columbia Over 'Mattress Protest' Dismissed | work=Newsweek | date=March 12, 2016 | author=Kutner, Max | access-date=March 12, 2016 }}</ref> Nungesser filed an amended complaint on April 25, 2016.<ref name="newsweek_new_complaint">{{cite news |last1=Kutner|first1=Max|title=Lawsuit Against Columbia Over 'Mattress Protest' Returns To Court|url=http://www.newsweek.com/paul-nungesser-lawsuit-columbia-sulkowicz-452241 |publisher=Newsweek |date=April 25, 2016 |access-date=May 10, 2016}}</ref> In July 2017, the university announced that it had reached a settlement with him; terms of the settlement were not disclosed.<ref name="lawsuit-settled">{{cite news |last1=Holmes|first1=Aaron|title=Columbia settles Nungesser's Title IX lawsuit|url=http://columbiaspectator.com/main/2017/07/13/columbia-settles-nungesser-title-ix-lawsuit/ |work=] |date=July 13, 2017 |access-date=July 15, 2017 |quote=The University announced that it had settled the suit—for which Nungesser submitted a new complaint after his initial one was dismissed last year—in a conciliatory statement sent to Spectator Thursday ... The University did not disclose the terms of the settlement.}}</ref> The university said in a statement: "Columbia recognizes that after the conclusion of the investigation, Paul's remaining time at Columbia became very difficult for him and not what Columbia would want any of its students to experience. Columbia will continue to review and update its policies toward ensuring that every student—accuser and accused, including those like Paul who are found not responsible—is treated respectfully and as a full member of the Columbia community."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Taylor|first1=Kate|title=Columbia Settles With Student Cast as a Rapist in Mattress Art Project|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/14/nyregion/columbia-settles-with-student-cast-as-a-rapist-in-mattress-art-project.html|work=The New York Times|date=July 14, 2017}}</ref>
The case attracted wider interest when Sulkowicz began speaking out about the general issue of ], something the Obama administration pledged to address in January 2014 with the ].<ref>, White House, April 2014.</ref> She appeared with Senator ] at a press conference about the issue in April that year and told reporters she had been raped.<ref>, CBS New York, 7 April 2014.</ref> On 24 April Sulkowicz and 22 other students, later joined by five more, filed a federal complaint against Columbia and ]. The complaint alleged that, in their handling of sexual-assault complaints, the universities were in violation of ] of the Education Amendments of 1972,<ref>, United States Department of Justice, 23 June 2012.</ref> a law to ensure gender equality in federally funded institutions, and Title II, a provision against discrimination on the basis of disability.<ref name=Bogler24April2014>Emma Bogler (24 April 2014). , ''Columbia Spectator''.</ref> The Department of Education's ] opened investigations into the complaints in January 2015.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/12/columbia-sexual-assault-investigation_n_6458872.html | title=Columbia University Is Under Federal Investigation For Sexual Assault Cases | work=The Huffington Post | date=12 January 2015 | author=Tyler Kingkade}}</ref>


=== Other responses ===
On 3 May 2014 Sulkowicz was named and interviewed by the ''New York Times'', and on 14 May filed a complaint about the alleged rape with the ].<ref name=NYT3May2014>Richard Pérez-Peña, Kath Taylor (3 May 2014). , ''The New York Times''.</ref><ref name=Bogler16May2014>{{cite news|author=Emma Bogler|title=Frustrated by Columbia’s inaction, student reports sexual assault to police|url=http://columbiaspectator.com/news/2014/05/16/frustrated-columbias-inaction-student-reports-sexual-assault-police|work=Columbia Spectator|date=16 May 2014}}</ref> The next day ''Time'' magazine published an op-ed by Sulkowicz, and the day after that Columbia's student newspaper, ''The Columbia Spectator'', named the accused.<ref name=Sulkowicz15May2015>Emma Sulkowicz (15 May 2014), , ''Time'' magazine.</ref><ref name=Bogler16May2014/> The district attorney's office interviewed the accused in August and, according to his lawyer, said that no charges would be brought because of a "lack of ]."<ref name=lawsuit/>
], ''New York Times'' ] (left), discussing ''Mattress Performance'' with Sulkowicz, ], December 14, 2014]]


==== Praise ====
==Creation and performance==
Numerous art critics responded positively to ''Mattress Performance''. ] cited it as "almost certainly&nbsp;... one of the most important artworks of the year", comparing it to ]'s '']'' (1973) and ] and ]'s '']'' (1977).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://news.artnet.com/art-world/columbia-students-striking-mattress-performance-92346 | title=Columbia Student's Striking Mattress Performance | work=Artnet | date=September 4, 2014 | author=Ben Davis}}</ref> Performance artist ] praised it.<ref>Rachel Corbett (October 24, 2014). , '']''; Josh Niland (October 27, 2014). , ''Artnet''.</ref> ''The New York Times'' art critic ] described it as "strict and lean, yet inclusive and open ended, symbolically laden yet drastically physical", writing that comparisons to the ] and ]'s ] were apparent.<ref name=Smith22September2014>] (September 22, 2014). , ''The New York Times''.</ref> ], art critic for '']'' magazine, included it in his list of the best 19 art shows of 2014, calling "clear, to the point, insistent, adamant&nbsp;... pure radical vulnerability".<ref name=Saltz>{{cite web | url=http://www.vulture.com/2014/12/19-best-art-shows-of-2014.html | title=The 19 Best Art Shows of 2014 | work=] | date=December 10, 2014 | author=Jerry Saltz}}.</ref>
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The political response was marked too. Nato Thompson, chief curator of ], said he could not think of another case where art had triggered a movement in the way ''Mattress Performance'' had.<ref name=Kaplan28November2014 /> ] told the ] Women's Leadership Forum in September 2014: "That image should haunt all of us&nbsp;..."<ref>] (September 19, 2014). . Transcribed at .</ref> In October 2014, Columbia students carried 28 mattresses on campus, one for each student who joined the federal Title IX complaint, then left them outside the home of university president ]; they were fined $471 for the clean-up.<ref name=Kaplan28November2014>Sarah Kaplan (November 28, 2014). , ''The Washington Post''.</ref><ref name=Nathanson1December2014>Rebecca Nathanson (December 1, 2014). , ''Rolling Stone''.</ref> A group called "Carry That Weight" organized a "National Day of Action to Carry That Weight" on October 29, 2014, during which students carried mattresses on 130 US campuses and several elsewhere.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/29/carry-that-weight-columbia-sexual-assault_n_6069344.html | title=Students Bring Out Mattresses In Huge 'Carry That Weight' Protest Against Sexual Assault | work=The Huffington Post | date=October 29, 2014 | author=Alexandra Svokos}}</ref><ref>Gander Kashmira (November 13, 2014). , ''The Independent''.</ref> Sulkowicz received the ]'s Susan B. Anthony Award and the ]'s Ms. Wonder Award.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://nownyc.org/susan-b-anthony-awards/ | title=Meet Our 2014 Honorees | publisher = Susan B. Anthony Awards | access-date=November 25, 2014}}; {{cite web | url=http://feminist.org/blog/index.php/2014/11/19/ms-wonder-awards-honor-young-grassroots-leaders-in-anti-violence-fair-wage-movements/ | title=Ms. Wonder Awards Honor Young Grassroots Leaders in Anti-Violence and Fair Wage Movements | publisher = Feminist Newswire | date=November 19, 2014}}</ref>
Sulkowicz created ''Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight)'' in the summer of 2014 for her senior thesis while at ] Summer School of Art and Music. Her first effort was a video of herself moving a bed out of a room, accompanied by the audio of her filing the police report, which she had recorded on her cellphone.<ref name=Sulkowicz14Dec2014b>, c.&nbsp;38:50 mins.</ref> The mattress later became the focus of the piece.<ref name=Smith22September2014/> Sulkowicz's thesis was supervised by artist ], a professor at Columbia. As the idea for ''Mattress Performance'' developed, Kessler and Sulkowicz discussed the nature of ] and the work of ], ], ] and ].<ref name=Steinhauer17September2014>Jillian Steinhauer (17 September 2014). , ''Hyperallergic''; , Columbia University School of the Arts.</ref>


In January 2015, New York's ] ] invited Sulkowicz to attend the ].<ref name=VanSyckle20January2015>Katie Van Syckle (January 20, 2015). , '']''; Katie Van Syckle (January 21, 2015). , '']''.</ref> ] said the invitation was "undeserved and violates the principles of confidentiality and gender equality of Title IX", and that Sulkowicz had "failed to establish any wrongdoing" on the part of Nungesser.<ref name="KGBlasted">Valerie Richardson (January 26, 2015). , ''The Washington Times''.</ref>
Purchased online from Tall Paul's Tall Mall, the 50-lb (23-kg), dark blue, extra-long twin mattress is of the kind Columbia places in its dorms, similar to the one on which Sulkowicz alleges she was attacked.<ref name=Sulkowicz14Dec2014b/><ref name=Grigoriadis21September2014/> She spent the summer of 2014 creating the rules of engagement. Written on the walls of her studio in the university's Watson Hall, these stated that she had to carry the mattress when on university property; that it had to remain on campus when Sulkowicz was not there; and that she was not allowed to ask for help in carrying it, but if help was offered she was allowed to accept.<ref name=Sulkowicz14Dec2014b/><ref>For Watson Hall, , from c. 2:00 mins.</ref>


In 2015, Sulkowicz was included in '']''{{'}}s ] as one of the year's fifty most influential Jewish-Americans.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://forward.com/series/forward-50/2015/ |title=Forward 50 2015 – |work=The Forward |date=November 7, 2015 |access-date=November 11, 2015}}</ref>
In early September that year she began carrying the mattress on campus.<ref>Noel Duan (9 September 2014). , ''Elle''.</ref> A homeless man was one of the first to help. She told ''New York Magazine'': "He was the first person who helped without some sort of preconstructed belief for why they were going to help. He was like, 'Oh, look, a struggling girl – let me help her and be a nice human being.' That was probably the most honest interaction I had."<ref name=Battaglia28May2015>Andy Battaglia (28 May 2015). , ''New York Magazine''.</ref> She kept a diary throughout, amounting to 59,000 words at the end of the work, recording her experiences and the misunderstandings of commentators.<ref name=Battaglia28May2015/>


==== Criticism ====
Sulkowicz said the work would end when the accused was expelled from or otherwise left Columbia, and that she would take the mattress to her graduation ceremony if necessary.<ref name=Smith22September2014/><ref name=Grigoriadis21September2014/> In the end she did carry it to her (and the accused's) graduation day on 19 May 2015, despite a request from Columbia that students should not bring "large objects which could interfere with the proceedings."<ref name=Taylor20May2015>Kate Taylor (20 May 2015). , ''The New York Times''.</ref> Several women carried the mattress on stage. As they approached, university president ], who had been shaking other graduates' hands, turned away as if to pick something up, and did not shake their hands; the university said this happened only because the mattress was in the way.<ref name=Bazelon29May2015/> The next day posters appeared in ] near the university calling Sulkowicz a "pretty little liar."<ref name=Roy20May2015>Jessica Roy (20 May 2015); , ''New York Magazine'', 20 May 2015.</ref>
Some commentators questioned Sulkowicz's account of the assault and argued that the performance was unfair to Nungesser.


Social critic ] described ''Mattress Performance'' as "a parody of the worst aspects of that kind of grievance-oriented feminism", adding that a feminist work "should empower women, not cripple them".<ref name=Paglia>{{cite news |last1=Daley|first1=David|title=Camille Paglia: How Bill Clinton is like Bill Cosby|url=http://www.salon.com/2015/07/28/camille_paglia_how_bill_clinton_is_like_bill_cosby/ |work=Salon |date=July 28, 2015 |access-date=August 10, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Quackenbush|first1=Casey|title=Camille Paglia: Columbia Anti-Rape Mattress Project Is Not Feminism|url=http://observer.com/2015/07/camille-paglia-columbia-anti-rape-mattress-project-is-backwards-feminism/ |newspaper=] |date=July 30, 2015 |access-date=August 16, 2015}}</ref>
After graduation Sulkowicz said she had known the university would not expel the accused, and had expected to carry the mattress for nine months, the length of a pregnancy, which was an important part of the work: "To me, the piece has very much represented a guy did a horrible thing to me and I tried to make something beautiful out of it."<ref name=Battaglia28May2015/>


In an editorial in the '']'', ] criticized Sulkowicz's work as "shaming without proof" and accused Sulkowicz and her supporters of "saving themselves from having to answer any questions and destroying men's lives with lies and innuendo".<ref name="Naomi Schaefer Riley">{{cite news |url=https://nypost.com/2015/02/08/columbia-mattress-rape-case-is-not-justice-its-shaming-without-proof/|title=Columbia mattress rape case is not justice—it's shaming without proof |last1=Riley |first1=Naomi Schaefer |date=February 8, 2015 |newspaper=] |access-date=November 16, 2015}}</ref> In his article "If anything's art, art's nothing", '']'' columnist ] compared Sulkowicz's work to that of ] and concluded, "if everything is art, then art can be used for anything. And in the process meaning and value dissolve and art becomes hopelessly debased."<ref>National Post (May 1, 2015), .</ref>
==Reception==
===Accused and parents, lawsuit===
] called ''Mattress Performance'' a nightmare for the accused student,<ref name=Bazelon29May2015/> who described the work as harassment "explicitly designed to bully" him into leaving Columbia.<ref>Sarah Kaplan (4 February 2015). , ''The Washington Post''.</ref> He was shunned by other students, had his personal details and photograph posted online, along with threats, and his name was listed as a serial rapist on campus bathroom walls and flyers.<ref name=Bazelon29May2015>Emily Bazelon (29 May 2015). , ''The New York Times Magazine''.</ref> On the National Day of Action in November 2014 protestors took mattresses to one of his classes.<ref name=Kaminer22Dec2014/>


In an editorial for '']'', columnist ] stated that she believed Sulkowicz was likely "shading the truth" and argued that, while campus rape was a real problem, advocates did not pay enough attention to the possibility of false allegations.<ref name=Bazelon29May2015 />
In April 2015 the accused filed a lawsuit against the university, its board of trustees, university president Lee Bollinger, and Sulkowicz's senior-thesis supervisor, Jon Kessler, alleging that they exposed him to gender-based harassment and a hostile educational environment in allowing the project to go ahead. He maintains that in so doing they damaged his college experience, emotional well-being, reputation and career prospects.<ref name=lawsuit/> Attorney Nicholas O'Donnell wrote in ''Art Law Report'' that the ] raised eyebrows regarding the alleged sexual details included about Sulkowicz, when the lawsuit is about the university, not about the sexual allegations.<ref>Nicholas O'Donnell (4 May 2015). , ''Art Law Report''.</ref> The case will be heard by Judge ] of the ]. The accused is represented by Andrew Miltenberg and the university by ].<ref name=lawsuit>, United States District Court, Southern District of New York, 22 April 2015; , PaceMonitor.com; Max Kutner, , ''Newsweek'', 28 April 2015.</ref>


== See also ==
The accused's parents criticized the university, including its decision to let Sulkowicz take the mattress to the graduation ceremony: "This has been a deeply humiliating experience.&nbsp;... A university that bows to a public witch-hunt no longer deserves to be called a place of enlightenment, of intellectual and academic freedom."<ref name=VanSyckle20May2015>Katie Van Syckle (20 May 2015). ,''New York Magazine''.</ref><ref>Rudi Novotny (2 June 2015). , ''Zeit''.</ref> They also criticized a campus art display, held the week before graduation, in which Sulkowicz exhibited drawings of a naked man, a couple having sex, and newspaper articles about the accused.<ref name=Bazelon29May2015/> It was later shown, titled ''Newspaper Bodies (Look, Mom, I'm on the Front Page!)'', as part of a group exhibition at a local gallery.<ref name=Battaglia28May2015/>


* ]
===Other responses===
* '']''
The art world responded with enthusiasm to ''Mattress Performance''. ] cited it as "almost certainly&nbsp;... one of the most important artworks of the year," comparing it to ]'s ''Untitled (Rape Scene)'' (1973) and ] and ]'s '']'' (1977).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://news.artnet.com/art-world/columbia-students-striking-mattress-performance-92346 | title=Columbia Student's Striking Mattress Performance | work=Artnet | date=4 September 2014 | author=Ben Davis}}</ref> Performance artist ] praised it.<ref>Josh Niland (27 October 2014). , ''Artnet]].</ref> ''New York Times'' art critic ] described it as "strict and lean, yet inclusive and open ended, symbolically laden yet drastically physical," writing that comparisons to the ] and ]'s ] were apparent.<ref name=Smith22September2014>] (22 September 2014). , ''The New York Times''.</ref> ], art critic for ''New York Magazine'', included it in his list of the best 19 art shows of 2014, calling "clear, to the point, insistent, adamant&nbsp;... pure radical vulnerability."<ref name=Saltz>{{cite web | url=http://www.vulture.com/2014/12/19-best-art-shows-of-2014.html | title=The 19 Best Art Shows of 2014 | work=New York Magazine | date=10 December 2014 | author=Jerry Saltz}}</ref>


== Notes ==
The political response was marked too. Nato Thompson, chief curator of ], said he could not think of another case where art had triggered a movement in the way ''Mattress Performance'' had.<ref name=Kaplan28November2014/> ] told the ] Women's Leadership Forum in September 2014: "That image should haunt all of us&nbsp;..."<ref>, Democratic National Committee Women's Leadership Forum, 19 September 2014.</ref> In October Columbia students carried 28 mattresses on campus, one for each student who joined the federal Title IX complaint, then left them outside the home of the university president; they were fined $471 for the clean-up.<ref name=Kaplan28November2014>Sarah Kaplan (28 November 2014). , ''The Washington Post''.</ref><ref name=Nathanson1December2014>Rebecca Nathanson (1 December 2014). , ''Rolling Stone''.</ref> A month later a group called "Carry That Weight" organized a "National Day of Action to Carry That Weight," during which students carried mattresses on 130 US campuses and several elsewhere.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/29/carry-that-weight-columbia-sexual-assault_n_6069344.html | title=Students Bring Out Mattresses In Huge 'Carry That Weight' Protest Against Sexual Assault | work=Huffington Post | date=29 October 2014 | author=Alexandra Svokos}}<p>
{{notelist}}
Gander Kashmira (13 November 2014). , ''The Independent''.</ref> Sulkowicz received the ]'s Susan B. Anthony Award and the ]'s Ms. Wonder Award.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://nownyc.org/susan-b-anthony-awards/ | title=Meet Our 2014 Honorees | publisher = Susan B. Anthony Awards | accessdate=25 November 2014}}; {{cite web | url=http://feminist.org/blog/index.php/2014/11/19/ms-wonder-awards-honor-young-grassroots-leaders-in-anti-violence-fair-wage-movements/ | title=Ms. Wonder Awards Honor Young Grassroots Leaders in Anti-Violence and Fair Wage Movements | publisher = Feminist Newswire | date=19 November 2014}}</ref>
{{reflist|group=n}}


== References ==
In January 2015 Senator Gillibrand invited Sulkowicz to attend the ].<ref name=VanSyckle20January2015>Katie Van Syckle (20 January 2015). , ''New York Magazine''; Katie Van Syckle (21 January 2015). , ''New York Magazine''.</ref> ] said the invitation was "undeserved and violates the principles of confidentiality and gender equality of Title IX," and that Sulkowicz had "failed to establish any wrongdoing" on the part of the accused.<ref>Valerie Richardson (26 January 2015). , ''The Washington Times''.</ref>
{{Reflist|30em}}


{{Endurance art}}
==References==
{{Reflist|26em}} {{Performance art}}


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Latest revision as of 11:44, 19 October 2024

American performance art piece

Mattress Performance
(Carry That Weight)
photographEmma Sulkowicz (center right) with Mattress Performance at graduation, May 19, 2015
ArtistEmma Sulkowicz
YearSeptember 2014 – May 2015
TypePerformance art, endurance art, feminist art
LocationColumbia University, Morningside Heights, Manhattan, New York City

Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight) (2014–2015) was a work of endurance/performance art which Emma Sulkowicz conducted as a senior thesis during the final year of a visual arts degree at Columbia University in New York City.

Begun in September 2014, the piece involved Sulkowicz carrying a 50-pound (23 kg) mattress, of the kind that Columbia uses in its dorms, around campus. Sulkowicz said the piece would end when a student Sulkowicz alleged raped her in her dorm room in 2012 was expelled or otherwise left the university. Sulkowicz carried the mattress until the end of the spring semester, as well as to the graduation ceremony in May 2015.

Fellow student Paul Nungesser, whom Sulkowicz accused, was found not responsible by a university inquiry into the allegations, and police declined to pursue a criminal complaint against him, citing a lack of reasonable suspicion. Nungesser called Sulkowicz's accusation "untrue and unfounded" and called Mattress Performance an act of bullying. In 2015, Nungesser filed a lawsuit against the university and several administrators alleging that the school exposed him to gender-based harassment by allowing Mattress Performance to go forward. In 2017, the university settled the suit for undisclosed terms, and pledged to reform its disciplinary policies.

The piece stirred controversy with praise from art critics and criticism from some commentators. Art critic Jerry Saltz called Mattress Performance "pure radical vulnerability" and one of the best art shows of 2014. Journalist Emily Bazelon described the work and events surrounding it as "a triumph" for the survivor movement and "a nightmare" for the accused. Caught between defending and enabling Sulkowicz's freedom of expression and Nungesser's right to due process and the university's written policies regarding confidentiality, the university was criticized by both parties and their parents for its handling of the issue.

Background

Main article: Columbia University rape controversy
Sulkowicz, December 2014

Emma Sulkowicz attended Dalton School on the Upper East Side, and in 2011 began a visual arts degree at Columbia University. Sulkowicz alleges that she was slapped, choked, and anally raped by Nungesser in Sulkowicz's dorm room, on the first day of her second year in August 2012, during what began as a consensual sexual encounter. Nungesser denies the allegation, insisting that the encounter was entirely consensual. In April 2013, 8 months after the encounter, Sulkowicz filed a complaint with the university. Sulkowicz says she filed a complaint after encountering two female students who said they had also been victimized by Nungesser. One was a former girlfriend who said she was emotionally abused during their long-term relationship, and stated that she later recognized their sexual relations as having been non-consensual. The other said that on one occasion Nungesser had moved toward her aggressively, grabbed her arms, and attempted to kiss her. Shortly after Sulkowicz filed a complaint, the two other students with whom she was acquainted also filed complaints with the university against the same student. Columbia ultimately cleared him of responsibility in all three cases.

The case attracted wider attention when the three female students who filed complaints gave interviews to the New York Post, which broke the story on December 11, 2013, without naming those involved. In April 2014 Sulkowicz appeared with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand at a press conference about campus sexual assault.

On April 24, 2014, 23 students filed a federal complaint against Columbia and Barnard College, alleging violations of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a law upholding gender equality in federally-funded institutions. Among other issues, the complaint alleged that the institutions discourage students from reporting sexual assault, that alleged perpetrators are not removed from campus, and that sanctions are too lenient. The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation in January 2015.

On May 14, 2014, Sulkowicz filed a complaint with the New York Police Department. The district attorney's office interviewed Sulkowicz and Nungesser in August, but did not pursue charges, citing lack of reasonable suspicion.

Creation and performance

photograph
Mattress Performance rules of engagement, Columbia University, 2014
photograph
"Carry that Weight Together", Columbia University, September 10, 2014

Sulkowicz devised Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight) in the summer of 2014 as a senior thesis while at Yale University Summer School of Art and Music. Her first effort was a video of herself moving a bed out of a room, accompanied by the audio of her filing the police report, which she had recorded on a cellphone. The mattress later became the focus of the piece. Sulkowicz's thesis was supervised by artist Jon Kessler, a professor at Columbia. As the idea for Mattress Performance developed, Kessler and Sulkowicz discussed the nature of endurance art and the work of Tehching Hsieh, Marina Abramović, Ulay and Chris Burden. Sulkowicz described the work as "an endurance performance art piece". Sulkowicz told the Columbia Daily Spectator: "I do think that nowadays art pieces can include whatever the artist desires and in this performance art piece it utilizes the elements of protest ..."

Purchased online from Tall Paul's Tall Mall, the 50-lb (23-kg), dark-blue, extra-long twin mattress is of the kind Columbia places in its dorms, similar to the one on which Sulkowicz said that she was raped. Sulkowicz spent the summer of 2014 creating the rules of engagement, which defined the parameters of the project. Written on the walls of her studio in the university's Watson Hall, these included that Sulkowicz had to carry the mattress when on university property; that it had to remain on campus when she was not there; and that she was not allowed to ask for help in carrying it, but could accept if help was offered.

In early September 2014 Sulkowicz began carrying the mattress on campus. A homeless man was one of the first to help. Sulkowicz told New York magazine: "He was the first person who helped without some sort of preconstructed belief for why they were going to help. He was like, 'Oh, look, a struggling girl—let me help her and be a nice human being.' That was probably the most honest interaction I had." Sulkowicz kept a diary throughout, amounting to 59,000 words at the end of the work, recording the artist's experiences as well as the misunderstandings of commentators.

Sulkowicz said the work would end when Nungesser was expelled from or otherwise left Columbia, and that she would take the mattress to her graduation ceremony if necessary. In the end Sulkowicz carried it to the graduation ceremony on May 19, 2015, despite a request from the school that students should not bring "large objects which could interfere with the proceedings". Several women helped carry the mattress on stage. As Sulkowicz approached, university president Lee Bollinger, who had been shaking other graduates' hands, turned away as if to pick something up, and did not shake her hand; the university said this happened because the mattress was in the way. The next day posters appeared in Morningside Heights near the university calling Sulkowicz a "pretty little liar".

After graduation Sulkowicz said she had known the university would not expel Nungesser, and had expected to carry the mattress for nine months, the length of a pregnancy, which was an important part of the work: "To me, the piece has very much represented a guy did a horrible thing to me and I tried to make something beautiful out of it."

Reception

Reaction by the accused

Paul Nungesser said in a December 2014 interview with The New York Times that the mattress performance is not an act of artistic expression, but instead one orchestrated to bully him and force him to leave Columbia. He said that on the National Day of Action, protesters followed him around, carrying mattresses to one of his classes and taking his picture. He also said that he was not permitted to use written communications between himself and the alleged victim as evidence, and expressed disbelief that anyone could believe he was guilty even after his accusers failed to meet the low burden of proof used in the university hearing process. He also stated that since Sulkowicz's protest serves as her senior thesis, it is being supervised and implicitly endorsed by a Columbia faculty member.

Nungesser's parents criticized the university, including its decision to let Sulkowicz take the mattress to the graduation ceremony: "This has been a deeply humiliating experience. ... A university that bows to a public witch-hunt no longer deserves to be called a place of enlightenment, of intellectual and academic freedom." Asked by German Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin about her feelings on the treatment of her son at Columbia, Nungesser's mother said, "This is a feeling of lawlessness." His father said that he sometimes fears his son will leave the school as a "cynic" and a "suspicious man".

In April 2015 Nungesser filed a Title IX lawsuit against Columbia University, its trustees, university president Lee Bollinger, and Sulkowicz's senior-thesis supervisor, Jon Kessler, alleging they exposed him to gender-based harassment and a hostile educational environment in allowing the project to go forward. Nungesser said that in so doing they damaged his college experience, emotional well-being, reputation and career prospects. His lawyers argued that Columbia allowed Sulkowicz to create and propose "performances depicting as a rapist" even though the university cleared him of any wrongdoing. Among examples of what they described as "public harassment", they cited Sulkowicz's public display of drawings which the lawyers said depicted Nungesser's genitals as part of the project (Sulkowicz left open the question of whether these drawings were of him or stories about him), as well as depictions of the alleged sexual assault, as violations of Columbia's gender-based misconduct policy, which prohibits "unwelcome remarks about the private parts of a person's body" and "graffiti concerning the sexual activity of another person". The lawsuit alleged that Columbia was responsible because the university sponsored and supervised the project. The university's lawyers say the university is "not responsible or liable" for Sulkowicz's conduct

On August 28, 2015, Columbia's lawyers asked that the case be dismissed, citing First Amendment protections and arguing that Nungesser's lawsuit suggests Columbia was obligated to prevent Sulkowicz from speaking publicly on an important issue. The case was heard by Judge Gregory H. Woods of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, who dismissed the suit on March 12, 2016. Nungesser filed an amended complaint on April 25, 2016. In July 2017, the university announced that it had reached a settlement with him; terms of the settlement were not disclosed. The university said in a statement: "Columbia recognizes that after the conclusion of the investigation, Paul's remaining time at Columbia became very difficult for him and not what Columbia would want any of its students to experience. Columbia will continue to review and update its policies toward ensuring that every student—accuser and accused, including those like Paul who are found not responsible—is treated respectfully and as a full member of the Columbia community."

Other responses

photograph
Roberta Smith, New York Times art critic (left), discussing Mattress Performance with Sulkowicz, Brooklyn Museum, December 14, 2014

Praise

Numerous art critics responded positively to Mattress Performance. Artnet cited it as "almost certainly ... one of the most important artworks of the year", comparing it to Ana Mendieta's Untitled (Rape Scene) (1973) and Suzanne Lacy and Leslie Labowitz-Starus's Three Weeks in May (1977). Performance artist Marina Abramović praised it. The New York Times art critic Roberta Smith described it as "strict and lean, yet inclusive and open ended, symbolically laden yet drastically physical", writing that comparisons to the Stations of the Cross and Hester Prynne's scarlet letter were apparent. Jerry Saltz, art critic for New York magazine, included it in his list of the best 19 art shows of 2014, calling "clear, to the point, insistent, adamant ... pure radical vulnerability".

The political response was marked too. Nato Thompson, chief curator of Creative Time, said he could not think of another case where art had triggered a movement in the way Mattress Performance had. Hillary Clinton told the DNC Women's Leadership Forum in September 2014: "That image should haunt all of us ..." In October 2014, Columbia students carried 28 mattresses on campus, one for each student who joined the federal Title IX complaint, then left them outside the home of university president Lee Bollinger; they were fined $471 for the clean-up. A group called "Carry That Weight" organized a "National Day of Action to Carry That Weight" on October 29, 2014, during which students carried mattresses on 130 US campuses and several elsewhere. Sulkowicz received the National Organization for Women's Susan B. Anthony Award and the Feminist Majority Foundation's Ms. Wonder Award.

In January 2015, New York's U.S. senator Kirsten Gillibrand invited Sulkowicz to attend the 2015 State of the Union Address. Families Advocating for Campus Equality said the invitation was "undeserved and violates the principles of confidentiality and gender equality of Title IX", and that Sulkowicz had "failed to establish any wrongdoing" on the part of Nungesser.

In 2015, Sulkowicz was included in The Forward's Forward 50 as one of the year's fifty most influential Jewish-Americans.

Criticism

Some commentators questioned Sulkowicz's account of the assault and argued that the performance was unfair to Nungesser.

Social critic Camille Paglia described Mattress Performance as "a parody of the worst aspects of that kind of grievance-oriented feminism", adding that a feminist work "should empower women, not cripple them".

In an editorial in the New York Post, Naomi Schaefer Riley criticized Sulkowicz's work as "shaming without proof" and accused Sulkowicz and her supporters of "saving themselves from having to answer any questions and destroying men's lives with lies and innuendo". In his article "If anything's art, art's nothing", National Post columnist Robert Fulford compared Sulkowicz's work to that of Megumi Igarashi and concluded, "if everything is art, then art can be used for anything. And in the process meaning and value dissolve and art becomes hopelessly debased."

In an editorial for The Federalist, columnist Mona Charen stated that she believed Sulkowicz was likely "shading the truth" and argued that, while campus rape was a real problem, advocates did not pay enough attention to the possibility of false allegations.

See also

Notes

  1. Sulkowicz uses she/her and they/them pronouns. This article uses feminine pronouns for consistency.
  1. Title IX says: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." It was passed on June 23, 1972, in response to discrimination against women in universities and colleges, which included quotas, requiring higher grades from women, and offering them reduced choice in degree programs. Five other students later joined the complaint against Columbia, which also alleged that the university was in violation of Title II, a provision against discrimination on the basis of disability, and the Clery Act.

References

  1. ^ For "endurance performance art", Emma Sulkowicz (September 2, 2014). "Emma Sulkowicz: "Carry That Weight", Columbia Daily Spectator, at 2:22 min.
  2. McNamara, Sylvie (October 28, 2019). "Did Emma Sulkowicz Get Redpilled?". The Cut. Vox Media. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  3. ^ Soraya Nadia McDonald (October 29, 2014). "It's hard to ignore a woman toting a mattress everywhere she goes, which is why Emma Sulkowicz is still doing it". The Washington Post.
  4. ^ Kate Taylor (May 20, 2015). "Mattress Protest at Columbia University Continues Into Graduation Event", The New York Times.
  5. ^ Katie Van Syckle (January 20, 2015). "Alleged Columbia Rapist ‘Dismayed and Disappointed’ by Accuser’s SOTU Invitation", New York; Katie Van Syckle (January 21, 2015). "Emma Sulkowicz Was ‘Let Down’ by Obama SOTU Speech", New York.
  6. ^ Max Kutner (April 28, 2015), "The Anti-Mattress Protest", Newsweek; Case details, PaceMonitor.com.
  7. ^ Max Kutner (December 10, 2015), "The Other Side of the College Sexual Assault Crisis", Newsweek. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  8. ^ Holmes, Aaron (July 13, 2017). "Columbia settles Nungesser's Title IX lawsuit". Columbia Daily Spectator. Retrieved July 15, 2017. The University announced that it had settled the suit—for which Nungesser submitted a new complaint after his initial one was dismissed last year—in a conciliatory statement sent to Spectator Thursday ... The University did not disclose the terms of the settlement.
  9. ^ Jerry Saltz (December 10, 2014). "The 19 Best Art Shows of 2014". New York..
  10. ^ Emily Bazelon (May 29, 2015). "Have We Learned Anything From the Columbia Rape Case?", The New York Times Magazine.
  11. ^ Vanessa Grigoriadis (September 21, 2014). "Meet the College Women Who Are Starting a Revolution Against Campus Sexual Assault", New York.
  12. ^ Ariel Kaminer (December 22, 2014). "Accusers and the Accused, Crossing Paths at Columbia University". The New York Times.
  13. ""Accessible, Prompt, and Equitable"? An Examination of Sexual Assault at Columbia". January 23, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  14. Cathy Young (February 3, 2015). "Columbia Student: I Didn't Rape Her", The Daily Beast.
  15. Richard Pérez-Peña, Kath Taylor (May 3, 2014). "Fight Against Sexual Assaults Holds Colleges to Account", The New York Times.
  16. Cathy Young (May 20, 2015). "As Another Accusation Bites the Dust, Columbia Rape Saga Takes New Turn", reason.com.
  17. Anonymous (May 21, 2015). "I Am Not a 'Pretty Little Liar'". Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  18. For interview with Sulkowicz that mentions the New York Post, Christoph Cadenbach (May 2015), "Nachtschatten", Suddeutche Zeitung Magazin, p. 2; for the Post story, Tara Palmeri (December 11, 2013), "Columbia drops ball on jock 'rapist' probe: students", New York Post.
  19. "Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Seeks Funds To Fight College Campus Sex Assaults", WCBS-TV, April 7, 2014.
  20. ^ Emma Bogler (April 24, 2014). "Students file federal complaint against Columbia, alleging Title IX, Title II, Clery Act violations", Columbia Daily Spectator.
  21. "Equal Access to Education: Forty Years of Title IX", United States Department of Justice, June 23, 2012.
  22. Tyler Kingkade (January 12, 2015). "Columbia University Is Under Federal Investigation For Sexual Assault Cases". The Huffington Post.
  23. Emma Bogler (May 16, 2014). "Frustrated by Columbia's inaction, student reports sexual assault to police". Columbia Daily Spectator.
  24. ^ Smith 2014, at c. 38:50 min.
  25. ^ Roberta Smith (September 22, 2014). "In a Mattress, a Lever for Art and Political Protest", The New York Times.
  26. Jillian Steinhauer (September 17, 2014). "Two Weeks Into Performance, Columbia Student Discusses the Weight of Her Mattress", Hyperallergic; "Jon Kessler" Archived February 13, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Columbia University School of the Arts.
  27. Sulkowicz (September 2, 2014), from c. 2:23 min.
  28. For Watson Hall, Sulkowicz (September 2, 2014), from c. 2:00 min.
  29. Noel Duan (September 9, 2014). "Going From Class to Class With Emma Sulkowicz and Her Mattress", Elle.
  30. ^ Andy Battaglia (May 28, 2015). "Will Emma Sulkowicz's Protest Mattress Wind Up in a Museum?", New York.
  31. Jessica Roy (May 20, 2015); "Posters Around Columbia Campus Call Emma Sulkowicz a 'Pretty Little Liar'", New York.
  32. Sarah Kaplan (February 4, 2015). "In Columbia University rape case, accuser and accused are now fighting it out in public", The Washington Post.
  33. ^ Kaminer, Ariel (December 22, 2014). "Accusers and the Accused, Crossing Paths at Columbia University". The New York Times.
  34. Katie Van Syckle (May 20, 2015). "Accused Rapist's Parents Criticize Columbia for Allowing Mattress at Graduation", New York.
  35. Rudi Novotny (June 2, 2015). "What Happened on the Mattress?", Zeit.
  36. Christoph Cadenbach: "Nachtschatten", Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin, Heft 5/2015
  37. ^ Jessica Roy (June 25, 2015): "Lawyers for Emma Sulkowicz's Alleged Rapist Accuse Her of Misandry", New York.
  38. Ashe Schow (July 22, 2015): "Columbia student accused of rape amends lawsuit to include 'the mattress attends graduation'", The Washington Examiner.
  39. Neumeister, Larry (August 28, 2015). "University Defends Mattress-Carrying Project Against Lawsuit". ABC News. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  40. Neumeister, Larry. "Columbia Cites Free Speech In Defense Of Allowing Mattress Protest". The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  41. Kutner, Max (March 12, 2016). "Lawsuit Against Columbia Over 'Mattress Protest' Dismissed". Newsweek. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  42. Kutner, Max (April 25, 2016). "Lawsuit Against Columbia Over 'Mattress Protest' Returns To Court". Newsweek. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  43. Taylor, Kate (July 14, 2017). "Columbia Settles With Student Cast as a Rapist in Mattress Art Project". The New York Times.
  44. Ben Davis (September 4, 2014). "Columbia Student's Striking Mattress Performance". Artnet.
  45. Rachel Corbett (October 24, 2014). "Marina Abramovic Is a Fan of the Mattress Girl", New York; Josh Niland (October 27, 2014). "Marina Abramović is Down With Emma Sulkowicz's Mattress Piece", Artnet.
  46. ^ Sarah Kaplan (November 28, 2014). "How a mattress became a symbol for student activists against sexual assault", The Washington Post.
  47. Clinton, Hillary (September 19, 2014). Address to Democratic National Committee Women's Leadership Forum. Transcribed at Democracy in Action.
  48. Rebecca Nathanson (December 1, 2014). "How 'Carry That Weight' Is Changing the Conversation on Campus Sexual Assault", Rolling Stone.
  49. Alexandra Svokos (October 29, 2014). "Students Bring Out Mattresses In Huge 'Carry That Weight' Protest Against Sexual Assault". The Huffington Post.
  50. Gander Kashmira (November 13, 2014). "University 'charges students hundreds of dollars' to clean up mattresses from Emma Sulkowicz anti-sexual assault solidarity protest", The Independent.
  51. "Meet Our 2014 Honorees". Susan B. Anthony Awards. Retrieved November 25, 2014.; "Ms. Wonder Awards Honor Young Grassroots Leaders in Anti-Violence and Fair Wage Movements". Feminist Newswire. November 19, 2014.
  52. Valerie Richardson (January 26, 2015). "Kirsten Gillibrand blasted for decision to invite Columbia 'mattress girl' to SOTU", The Washington Times.
  53. "Forward 50 2015 –". The Forward. November 7, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  54. Daley, David (July 28, 2015). "Camille Paglia: How Bill Clinton is like Bill Cosby". Salon. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  55. Quackenbush, Casey (July 30, 2015). "Camille Paglia: Columbia Anti-Rape Mattress Project Is Not Feminism". New York Observer. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  56. Riley, Naomi Schaefer (February 8, 2015). "Columbia mattress rape case is not justice—it's shaming without proof". New York Post. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  57. National Post (May 1, 2015), "Robert Fulford: If anything’s art, art's nothing".
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