We were very pleased to have the opportunity to speak with Sarah Forbes, former curator of New York’s Museum of Sex and author of Sex in the Museum.
With a Masters in Anthropology, with a focus on gender and sexuality, Sarah has curated close to 20 exhibitions and multiple online installations, serving as “an interpreter of the academic and often dry information found in dusty libraries, translating it for the general public and making it entertaining as well as accessible.”
She has been featured in a wide range of publications such as the New York Times, New York Post, Cosmopolitan, Reuters, Time Out New York, and New Scientist, and has appeared on the Today Show and Discovery’s Curiosities with Maggie Gylenhaal.
Volonté: Can you give us a brief history of the Museum of Sex?
Sarah Forbes: The Museum of Sex was founded in 2002 in New York City, by entrepreneur, Daniel Gluck. When I joined in 2004, I was deeply compelled by its desire to be a “Smithsonian of Sex.” It was so refreshing to see an institution so eager to take the topic of sex seriously, but also with a little bit of a punk rock attitude. Here I saw an institution that not only utilized the anthropological underpinnings of my academic background, but also blended this with history, fine art, technology and science. For me, this multiplicity of perspectives is what made my decade with the Museum so exciting.
V: What is the goal, objective and purpose of the Museum of Sex?
SF: I think the goal of the Museum has evolved since its origin, at times a force of education and others one of entertainment. But at its heart, I believe the Museum of Sex is about being unconventional in the museum world and beyond.
V: What part of your time with the Museum of Sex are you most proud of?
SF: I’m most proud of having been able to produce almost two dozen exhibitions, each diverse in subject matter and approach, that people learned from and enjoyed that experience of learning. No prouder success than that for a curator! There are so few places to have an open, honest, accurate and creative conversation on sex, and it is with great pride I was able to have a hand in such an important discourse that reached so many people
V: Did you ever come against any opposition to what you were doing?
SF: As a private, for profit institution, the Museum of Sex is less controversial than people first assume. Yet, opposition was a constant element in my work. While the opposition wasn’t in the form of protests, I experienced it in more subtle yet equally potent manners. It felt like many galleries, artists, brands, corporations, and institutions wanted to work with us, even participating in rounds of conversations, but in the end our unapologetic relationship to sex staled many collaborations. It takes a lot of bravery to be bold.
V: Could you tell us what you’ve learned from your work and research?
SF:Sex is not only the most interesting topic you could ever hope to tackle professionally, it is the locus of diversity, a subject near and dear to my heart. Anything can be a turn on for someone, and our brains are the center of our erotic imaginations. I am constantly and continually astounded by the creativity of what people make and do in regards to sex, sexuality and the manifestation of identity. The Museum of Sex has been the best field work, a anthropologist, curator, sexual culturalist could ever have asked for. I’m so privileged I was able to share this adventure through my memoir, Sex in the Museum: My Unlikely Career at New York’s Most Provocative Museum.
You can find out more about Sarah Forbes and her work on CuratorofSex.com
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