Vote for Women

With works by
Vanessa Beecroft, Julia Bornefeld, VALIE EXPORT, Parastou Forouhar, Stefanie Klingemann, Zilla Leutenegger, Lisa Milroy, Adrian Piper, Pipilotti Rist, Berty Skuber, Letizia Werth

Curated by
Anne Schloen

Vote for Women shows a many-facetted picture of the history of women:  it tells of politics and art, history and presence, social standards and individual rebellion. 

Women’s suffrage was introduced in 1945 in Italy and in 1948 in South Tyrol. This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of this event and gives rise to the exhibition Vote for Women which deals with the role and position of women in society.  

To convey a differentiated image of women’s history, two different approaches to the subject will be pursued: on the one hand, a scientific analysis will illustrate the principles and basic issues of women's and gender history. This documentary part of the exhibition is centered on the limitations, rights, and opportunities women have had from antiquity until today.  

On the other hand, the works of the eleven selected artists bear witness to the social position of women and reflect their various role models. The social standards, values, and expectations that affect the self-conception, identity, and behavior of women, will be critically scrutinized. Some of the works show nonconformist women who do not adhere to the social rules and break the traditional role models.  

Vote for Women is a cooperative project between Merano arte and Landesbeirat für Chancengleichheit zwischen Frau und Mann [State Advisory Council for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men] of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, South Tyrol.  

Participating artists:  Vanessa Beecroft, Julia Bornefeld, VALIE EXPORT  Parastou Forouhar, Stefanie Klingemann, Zilla Leutenegger, Lisa Milroy, Adrian Piper, Pipilotti Rist, Berty Skuber, Letizia Werth

Curator of the art exhibition: Anne Schloen, Cologne