Our Voices. Auf den Spuren Bildender Künstlerinnen. 75 Jahre Deutscher Künstlerbund
In the organizer's words:
On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of its re-founding after the Second World War, the Deutscher Künstlerbund, in cooperation with the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, is devoting itself to the question of the situation of female artists since 1950 and the many obstacles to equality in the art world that still exist today. Despite all the positive developments of recent decades and an increased general perception of women in the art world, there are still significant differences between the sexes in Germany in 2025 in terms of pay, visibility in exhibitions and representation in galleries and collections.
Founded in 1903, the Deutscher Künstlerbund is one of the oldest artists' associations in Germany and today brings together over 850 renowned visual artists. As a platform for artistic exchange and critical discourse, it actively promotes the interests of artists, for example by participating in selection committees and expert panels. In addition to its cultural-political commitment, the Deutscher Künstlerbund organizes events in its Berlin exhibition space as well as exhibitions, symposia and colloquia on socially relevant topics throughout Germany.
The exhibition "OUR VOICES. In the footsteps of female visual artists" spans seventy-five years of artistic creation in twenty-four positions. In a broad spectrum of different media - painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, textile art, installation, photography and video - it illuminates both the individual, biographical situation of female artists as well as diverse aspects of the changing position of women in society.
It is part of a two-year collaborative research project by the Deutscher Künstlerbund and the Kunst-Mentoring of the Kulturbüro Rheinland-Pfalz with the aim of improving the conditions for equality and visibility of female visual artists. In addition to works on loan from the artists, the exhibition also shows works from private collections and the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum's collection that have never been on public display or have not been for a long time.
In terms of content, the exhibition "OUR VOICES" explores the relationship between the private and the political, sheds light on the treatment of motherhood and care work and shows works that reflect hierarchical relationships and structural violence, both in the context of society and between the sexes as well as in relation to nature. In numerous positions, there are also references to the history of the decades-long struggle for equality for women - and for the visibility of female artists. At the same time, "OUR VOICES" offers insights into different phases of female art history in Germany between the end of the Second World War and the present day.
The title "OUR VOICES" is inspired by the fundamental research of the American social psychologist Carol Gilligan. A good forty years ago, following interviews with girls, she discovered and described a different voice that advocated an ethic of care and collaboration. In her most recent publication In a Human Voice (2023), she describes this voice, previously associated with femininity, as an attitude that is inherent in all people, regardless of gender, and that points beyond hierarchies and gender opposition. The artistic strategies that this exhibition makes visible can be related to Gilligan's Human Voice: Collaboration, (self)care, shifting perspectives, gentleness, humor - and activism.
Against this backdrop, "OUR VOICES" is an invitation to look to the future and understand the individual responses to biographical and social/socio-political challenges and the different strategies used by female artists to transform them. In a time of escalating crises, the exhibition also reflects on the role and possibilities of art in dealing with existing conditions and developing new perspectives.
Curated by Dr. Almut Hüfler
With works by: Mary Bauermeister, Daniela Comani, CRIPTO SIRENAS, Madeleine Dietz, Tatjana Doll, Margret Eicher, EVA & ADELE, Hannah Höch, Annot Jacobi, Magdalena Kallenberger, Alicja Kwade, Almut Linde, Christiane Löhr, Jule Tabea Martin, MATERNAL FANTASIES, Maina-Miriam Munsky, Emy Roeder, Anike Joyce Sadiq, Niki de Saint Phalle, Karin Sander, Aen Sauerborn, Bettina Semmer, Zuzanna Skiba and Annegret Soltau.
Price information:
Adults: 10 euros Concessions: 7 euros (children aged 10 and over, severely disabled persons, pupils, students) Family ticket: 21 euros Free admission: children under 10, kindergartens, school classes, members of the Förderkreis Free admission on Saturdays! Admission to the museum is also free during renovation phases.
Location
The best event recommendations for the Rausgegangen App!
