Art

31: Women

This exhibition at Daimler Contemporary collects the work of 31 women artists. Inspired by two legendary art shows from the 1940s, there’s something from almost every media, era, artistic movement and corner of the world on display.

Image for 31: Women

Zanele Muholi, Gamalakhe I, 2018 Silbergelatineabzug, Daimler Art Collection, Stuttgart | Berlin

A treasure chest of women’s work.

Loosely following the framework of two exhibitions curated by legendary Dada artist Marcel Duchamp for equally legendary art collector Peggy Guggenheim in the 1940s, this exhibition includes work by 31 women from the Daimler Collection. Spanning Anni Albers (1899-1994) to Andrea Zittel (b. 1965), its content obviously reflects the tastes of this corporate collection’s curators, but it is not what you’d expect.

Among the less than corporate offerings are two stand-out videos by American artist Andrea Fraser: in “Welcome to the Wadsworth” (1991), the artist herself presents a mock historical commentary as she stands outside a museum and straight-faced rips into the patriarchy and nepotism behind the institution; “Little Frank and His Carp” (2001) sees Fraser in the lobby of the Guggenheim Bilbao, listening to her audio guide she follows its every cue: “Contemporary art can be confusing” – Fraser frowns. “You may want to stroke the walls” – Fraser caresses the walls.

Other works not to miss are photos by Zanele Muholi and Annu Palakunnathu Matthew, silk screen prints by Anni Albers and sculpture by Madeleine Boschan. There’s something from almost every media, era, artistic movement and corner of the world on display here, a treasure chest of women’s work.