Women’s Art II
The show’s title was inspired by the exhibition Women’s Art, which took place at the ON Gallery in Poznań in 1980. It was one of the first exhibitions in Poland on feminist themes. As part of this event, Maria Pinińska-Bereś presented Laundry I, which was purchased for the Collection of the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art in 2023.
Even though feminist art created by women is presented in almost every gallery, our show presents this topic in a completely new way. What is new is the inclusion of different perspectives that have not been present before.
The exhibition presents women’s work that is rarely shown in galleries. With their art and views, they have defied the status quo, which resulted in them facing repression from the state, the dominant religion, or their own family. Some of them have experienced imprisonment or received death threats. These are women who with their art have fought for the freedom of art.
The artists whose works we show have different biographies and their works have been created in different parts of the world and in different contexts. Noor Abed talks about the identity of a local Palestinian community, its relationship with the land, and the threats looming over it. Firoozeh Bazrafkan presents the situation of Iranian women enslaved by Sharia law. Tasleem Mulhall reflects on the dangerous life of Arab women through the lens of her own biography. Maria Pinińska-Bereś changed the perception of femininity in dull communist Poland.
The exhibition presents works purchased for the Collection of the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art in 2023 with funding from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage as part of the National Collection of Contemporary Art programme. The featured artists work in various media, including photography, sculpture, and installation.
