Curators:
Andreas Beitin, Katharina Koch und Uta Ruhkamp
Junior Curators
Regine Epp and Dino Steinhof
“We should all be feminists” is the well-known appeal of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie which adorned a controversial T‑shirt of Dior in 2016. Feminism has long since become part of popular culture in Europe and the United States, and women here, as well as in many other parts of the world, are forging their way through patriarchal structures with their activism. Nevertheless, despite countless movements and demonstrations, it is still not possible in the twenty-first century to speak of gender equality. In some countries, there are currently even retrograde developments; and in some cases, the rights of women and the LGBQTIA+ communities are being massively curtailed.
With Empowerment, the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg will presents for the first time a worldwide overview of art and diverse feminisms since 2000. How do artists in the postcolonial, digital present act from the position of their respective situations? What emancipatory understanding underlies their art? How do they broaden the view of a feminist-oriented future? Issues negotiated in the exhibition include social inequality, sexism, racism, migration, anti-Semitism, and the relationship between bodies, technology, and ecological concerns.
In order to do justice to these global perspectives, international networks of scholars, curators, and artists were initiated, and collectives from Brazil, China, Uganda, and India have been invited. Approximately 100 artistic positions will be presented.
In cooperation with the Federal Agency for Civic Education, a 500-page publication is being produced with contributions from thirty-five international authors.