From over 20,000 objects in the Bröhan-Museum, only about 1,500 are by women – around 7.5%. Nearly 1,000 male artists in contrast to 99 female artists are represented in the collection. Why is there such a disparity? And who were those women who decided to pursue a career, despite all the adversities, as a woman artist or designer in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries?

Based on these questions, the Bröhan-Museum dedicates for the first time an exhibition to the women artists of the collection: painters of the Berlin Secession such as Maria Slavona and Julie Wolfthorn, artists of the Wiener Werkstätte such as Vally Wieselthier and Hilda Jesser, sculptors such as Chana Orloff, ceramists such as Margarete Heymann-Loebenstein and Ursula Fesca, as well as silversmiths, glassmakers and designers of furniture, porcelain and textiles.

The exhibition traces the diverse works and compelling biographies of these artists, highlighting their crucial contribution to the development of European art and design. In an art world that saw creativity and inventiveness as primarily masculine qualities and attributed at best decorative talents to women, these achievements are all the more remarkable.

The revision of the collection opens up new perspectives on design by women between 1880 and 1940. Beside taking this historic approach, the show directs its attention to the present by reflecting on topics that remain relevant to this day – motherhood, care work or the gender pay gap, for instance. In a space designed to invite exchange and contemplation, an interactive lexicon of women artists will be created over the course of the exhibition.

With its broad panorama of design positions, the exhibition seeks to make a topical contribution to the visibility of women artists and designers of Modernism.

Curators: Dr. Anna Grosskopf, Julia Meyer-Brehm M.A.
Exhibition design: Katleen Arthen
Media partners: Wall GmbH, rbb Kultur, Dinamix, tip, Exberliner.
The exhibition is accompanied by a catalog published by the Hirmer Verlag.

Advertising image: Gerwin Schmidt, using the following photographs: Anonymous: Maria Slavona, c. 1890. Die Lübecker Museen. Museum Behnhaus Drägerhaus; Dorothea von Osten: Hedwig Bollhagen, 1939. Hedwig Bollhagen Stiftung im Nachlass Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz/BLHA; Philipp Kester: Käthe Kollwitz, c. 1906. Kollwitz estate © Käthe Kollwitz Museum Köln, Münchner Stadtmuseum, Sammlung Fotografie.

EXHIBITION PROGRAM

Free guided tours
Every Saturday at 3 pm, there is a free guided tour through the exhibition. Registration is not required. The number of participants is limited.

Curator tours
Sun, 26 June, and Sun, 28 August, at 11 am each, registration not required.
There will be a live tour on Instagr@broehanadmin@broehan_museum on Thu, 6/30, at 6pm.

Summer Festival
Thu, 7 July, from 5:30 pm until 10 pm

Long Night of Museums Berlin
Sat, 27 August, from 6 pm

Summer vacations at the Bröhan-Museum
11–14.7.2022, from 10 am until 3 pm, for children aged 8–12 years
25–28.7.2022, from 10 am until 3 pm, for children aged 8–12 years
Booking at www.jugend-im-museum.de

Family Sundays
Every third Sunday of the month: Sun, 17 July and 21 August, from 11am until12:30 pm each.
Limited number of participants. Registration required at: n.mueller@broehan-museum.de

Mobile DesignBox
Sundays, 3 July, 7 August, 4 September, each from 1 pm until 5 pm in the museum garden.
As part of the admission-free Museum Sunday, our mobile Mobile DesignBox invites creative participation. No registration required. More info at www.broehan-museum.de/vermittlung

Ménage à trois
One of our art experts guides you and one person accompanying you exclusively through the exhibition.
1 h, 55,- € (Tue–Fri), 70,- € (Sat/Sun/Holiday), plus admission. Booking at info@broehan-museum.de or 030/32690600

Bröhan Late
After the museum closes, at 6 pm, one of our art experts will guide you and up to 19 persons accompanying you through the exhibition. Price: 200 € (Tue-Fri), 250 € (Sat/Sun/Holiday), booking at info@broehan-museum.de or 030/32690600