Cultural Tip on SDG 5: Artworks about feminism from around the world
- 2022-12-07
- Janna Degener-Storr
UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 "" focuses on equality between the sexes worldwide. The exhibition Empowerment at the art museum in Wolfsburg provides a global overview of art and feminism since the start of the 21st century.
‘What if women ruled the world’ is written across the wall in illuminated letters. A stylised depiction of a map of the world is shown next to these. Women engaged in a seemingly important discussion are seated around a conference table in front of this display. This is how one of the artworks shown in the can be described. Another image shows semi-naked women hanging from unbalanced scales – before a blood-red background – and one of the women is being squashed into the ground.
Some of the around one hundred pieces shown from over fifty countries on all continents are thought-provoking, others are shocking, and some are simply amusing. However, they all address the serious issue of gender equality – whether it be equal pay, acknowledgement of domestic work, oppression or violence. The ‘Empowerment’ exhibition uses artistic means to analyse a wide range of feminist approaches and to show possible ways out of global crises.
Networks of international academics, curators and artists were initiated, and collectives from Brazil, Uganda, China, India, the United Kingdom, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda curated their own guest spaces within the exhibition. The exhibition room was specially designed for this. There is also a supplementary with interesting texts and interviews.