On Sunday 16.5.2021, the International Museum Day took place under the motto "Museums inspire the future".
In the year of the 50th anniversary of women's suffrage in Switzerland, there seems to be no more appropriate time to speak plainly about the situation of women on the art scene. It remains sobering. "Not only because women are best known in museums worldwide primarily as nudes or religious objects. Until the 1960s, "women in art" even always meant representations of women." (Zurich Museums) In 1985, the anonymous artist group Guerilla Girls proposed, "Do women have to be naked to get into museums?" (Zurich Museums)
The proportion of women in solo exhibitions in Switzerland also continues to underwhelm. For example, research by SWI swissinfo.ch and Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS) in 80 museums revealed that only 26% of all solo exhibitions were the work of women. In the large and most visited museums, the average share of women in solo exhibitions was even lower 15.1%. (cf. Kohler et al.)
Reclaim Diversity: Cantonal cultural funds should be more equitably distributed: Currently, over 80% of cantonal cultural funding goes to the leading cultural institutions (including Kunsthaus Zürich). Smaller organizers are also rans. This must change. (cf. pro Kultur Kanton Zurich)
Let’s stop debatting about "women in museums/art" and act. FATart has already taken this to heart with its numerous commitments - and has also implemented it in the FATart Fair.
Still there are some museums that currently show exhibitions by women and making a significant contribution to change on the art scene.
FATart recommends:
Frauen.Rechte, Von der Aufklärung bis in die Gegenwart. Landesmuseum Zürich (5.3.2021 – 18.7.2021). https://www.landesmuseum.ch/frauenrechte
Iris von Roten – Frauen im Laufgitter. Strauhof Zürich (2.3.2021 – 30.5.2021) https://strauhof.ch/programm/aktuelle-ausstellung/
Lebensgeschichten aus den Bergen 101x Frau. Das gelbe Haus Flims. (16.4.2021 – 2.7.2021) https://www.dasgelbehausflims.ch/
Queer – Vielfalt ist unsere Natur" im Naturhistorischen Museum Bern (9.April 2021 – 10.April 2022) https://www.nmbe.ch/de/queer
Sophie Taeuber-Arp. Gelebte Abstraktion. Kunstmuseum Basel (20.3.2021 – 20.6.2021). https://kunstmuseumbasel.ch/de/ausstellungen/2021/sophie-taeuber-arp
Zilla Leutenegger, Espèces d’espaces. Kunstmuseum Graubünden (1.5.2021 - 1.8.2021) https://kunstmuseum.gr.ch/de/ausstellungen/aktuell/Seiten/Zilla-Leutenegger.aspx
Zirkuliere! Eine Konspiration. Helmhaus Zürich (23.4.2021 – 20.6.2021) https://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/kultur/de/index/institutionen/helmhaus/vorschau.html
source reference:
Alexandra Kohler et al.: Schweizer Museen zeigen wenig Kunst von Frauen, Swissinfo, Juni 2019: https://www.swissinfo.ch/ger/datenrecherche_schweizer-museen-zeigen-wenig-kunst-von-frauen/44938902
Pro Kultur Kanton Zürich: Für eine gerechtere Verteilung der kantonalen Kulturgelder: https://prokultur-zuerich.ch/testimonial/fuer-eine-gerechtere-verteilung-der-kantonalen-kulturgelder/
Zürcher Museen, März 2021: https://zuercher-museen.ch/blog/eine-liga-fuer-sich-frauen-in-der-kunst