The Getty Research Institute is hosting "How to Be a Guerrilla Girl," its first major exhibition drawn from the extensive archives of the anonymous feminist activist collective. The show features early drafts, posters, and archival materials that trace the group's 40-year history of using humor and data to combat misogyny and racism in the art world. Despite the institutional spotlight, the Getty has chosen to maintain the group's secrecy, even redacting names from public documents and keeping boxes of unmasked photographs sealed until the members' deaths.
This exhibition highlights the ongoing tension between the Guerrilla Girls' strategy of anonymity and the traditional museum practice of individual attribution. While the collective argues that staying undercover keeps the focus on systemic social issues rather than personal grievances, the lack of transparency complicates the historical record regarding individual contributions and internal group conflicts. As the group reaches its fourth decade, the show raises questions about how activist legacies are preserved and whether the protective shield of the mask remains necessary in a changing art market.