Our Voices. Following the Traces of Female Visual Artists. 75th Anniversary of Deutscher Künstlerbund

24 May to 14 September 2025

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of its re-founding after World War II, Deutscher Künstlerbund (German Artists’ Association), in cooperation with the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum in Ludwigshafen on the Rhine, addresses the situation of female artists since 1950 and the diverse obstacles that still persist today regarding equality in the art world. Despite all the positive developments of recent decades and an increased overall awareness of women in the art scene, significant differences between the sexes still exist in Germany in 2025 in terms of pay, visibility in exhibitions, and representation in galleries and collections.

Founded in 1903, Deutscher Künstlerbund is one of the oldest associations of artists in Germany and now brings together more than 850 renowned visual artists. As a platform for artistic exchange and critical discourse, it actively advocates for the interests of creators - not least through participation in selection committees and expert panels. In addition to its cultural policy initiatives, the association organizes events in its Berlin exhibition space as well as exhibitions, symposia, and colloquia on socially relevant topics throughout Germany.

The exhibition ”Our Voices. Following the Traces of Female Visual Artists” spans twenty-four works, drawing a line through seventy-five years of artistic creation. Across a broad spectrum of media—painting, drawing, sculpture, print graphics, textile art, installations, photography, and video—it illuminates both the individual, biographical circumstances of female artists and the diverse aspects of the evolving status of women in society.

It is tied to a two-year collaborative research project by Deutscher Künstlerbund and the art mentoring program of Kulturbüro Rhineland-Palatinate, aimed at improving the conditions for equality and visibility of visual artists. In addition to loans from the artists themselves, the exhibition showcases works from private collections and from the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum’s collection that have never been, or have not been for a long time, publicly displayed.

In terms of content, “Our Voices” examines the relationship between the private and the political, sheds light on the handling of motherhood and care work, and presents works that reflect hierarchical relationships and structural violence - both in societal contexts and between genders, as well as in relation to nature. Numerous pieces also reference the decades-long struggle for women’s equality and the visibility of female artists. At the same time, “Our Voices” offers insights into different phases of women’s art history in Germany from the end of World War II to the present.

The title “Our Voices” is inspired by the seminal research of American social psychologist Carol Gilligan. Over forty years ago, through interviews with girls, she discovered and described an alternative voice that represented an ethics of care and collaboration. In her most recent publication, In a Human Voice (2023), she characterizes that voice - previously associated with femininity - as an attitude inherent in all people, regardless of gender, transcending hierarchical relationships and the opposition of the sexes. The artistic strategies made visible in this exhibition relate to Gilligan’s Human Voice: collaboration, (self-)care, shifts in perspective, gentleness, humor - and activism.

Against this backdrop, “Our Voices” is conceived as an invitation to trace, with an eye toward the future, the individual responses to biographical and sociopolitical challenges and the various strategies employed by female artists to transform them. In a time of escalating crises, the exhibition also reflects on the role and potential of art in confronting current conditions and developing new perspectives.

This exhibition not only deepens our understanding of how personal narratives intertwine with broader social dynamics but also inspires us to consider the transformative power of art as a tool for social change. If you’re intrigued by these intersections of art, feminism, and societal transformation, you might also be interested in exploring similar exhibitions and research projects that challenge traditional narratives and foreground diverse voices in the art world.

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.