In Search of Miss Ruthless

Para Site invites you on a journey “In Search of Miss Ruthless,” an exhibition that explores beauty pageants from perspectives of women’s rights and gender equality, where the titular “Miss Ruthless” is a public persona of popular support from the future. The exhibition emphasizes ideas of diaspora (such as how Miss Chinese International incorporated overseas pageants to connect communities through mainstream culture) and the power of pageant winners to become involved in social issues (such as Miss Hong Kong 2015 Louisa Mak, who voiced discontent with Hong Kong’s political situation and the status of women). The previously unexhibited works by 23 artists interpret pageants as a promise of mobility that regulate class, gender and ethnicity. Inspired by the media infrastructure of pageants, the exhibition includes archival documents, an audio guide, and two web projects.