25.11.2022 – 14.05.2023

The Bigger Picture: Design – Women – Society

Logo The Bigger Picture: Design – Women – Society
Logo The Bigger Picture: Design – Women – Society
Photos: berndgrundmann.com
Women have made decisive contributions to the development of modern design, not only as designers of furniture, fashion, graphics and industrial products, but also as architects, entrepreneurs and university teachers. They thus play a wide variety of roles – not least in emerging areas of design, where research and new technologies are increasingly important, while interdisciplinary and collaborative ways of working are becoming more common. Today we are seeing the growing presence and influence of women as both practitioners and teachers. Nevertheless, for many years their achievements were not adequately recognized or appreciated, and a look back at the history of design shows that it has been marked by stereotypical beliefs and role models. Exhibitions throughout the world are currently putting women’s creative work and impact under the spotlight and recounting the history of design in a fresh way. Meanwhile, museums are critically reappraising their own collection practices.

Photos: berndgrundmann.com

“The Bigger Picture: Design – Women – Society” at the Gewerbemuseum Winterthur highlights the work of female designers over a period of 120 years. It expands the Vitra Design Museum’s “Here We Are! Women in Design 1900 – Today” exhibition by displaying works from the Swiss context. At the same time, it uses selected items as a stimulus for forward-looking discussion about current developments in design against a backdrop of social change.

Gender relations and diversity are considered, as well as social justice and sustainability, both ecological and economic. In this way, “The Bigger Picture” not only seeks to make women's achievements more visible and to include the social dimensions of design, but also examines how we can design our world to be more inclusive and diverse in the future.

With exhibits and projects by:
Reform and Revolution 1900 – 1930

Jane Addams/UK, Marianne Brandt/DE, Louise Brigham/US, Klara Fehrlin/CH, Bertha Günther/Lichtbildwerkstatt Loheland/DE, Louise Langgaard/Töpferei Loheland/DE, Ljubow Popowa/RU, Warwara Fjordorowna Stepanova/RU, Lux Guyer/CH, Gertrud Kleinhempel/DE, Alma Siedhoff-Buscher/DE, Warwara Fjordorowna Stepanova/RU, Gunta Stölzl/DE/CH, Edith Sutor/Töpferei Loheland/DE

Female Pioneers of the Modern Movement 1920 – 1950

Aino Aalto/FI, Ray Eames/US, Eileen Gray/FR, Florence Knoll/US, Charlotte Perriand/FR, Trude Petri/DE, Clara Porset/CU/MX, Lilly Reich/DE, Flora Steiger-Crawford/CH, Eva Zeisel/HU/US

On the Move 1950 – 2000

Gae Aulenti/IT, Galina Balaschowa/RU, Rosmarie und Rico Baltensweiler/CH, Liisi Beckmann/FI, Susi und Ueli Berger/CH, Cini Boeri/IT, Sheila Levrant de Bretteville/US, Anna Castelli Ferrieri/IT, Johanna Dahm/CH, Nanna Ditzel/DK, Elisabeth Feller/Feller AG/CH, Carmen Greutmann Bolzern/CH, Helene Haeusler/DD, Trix & Robert Haussmann/CH, Margarete Jahny/DDR, Rei Kawakubo/JP, Sandra Kuratle/AMOK/CH, Verena Huber/CH, Martha Huber-Villiger/CH, Grete Jalk/DK, Doris Lehni Quarella/Lehni AG/CH, Margrit Linck/CH, Greta Magnusson/SE/US, Matrix Architecture Collective/UK, Greta von Nessen/SE, Libuše Niklová/CS, Nathalie Du Pasquier/FR, Berta Rahm/CH, Annika Rimala/Marimekko/FI, Martha Rosler/US, Nelly Rudin/CH, Tatiana Samoilova/RU, Enid June Seeney/UK, See Red Women's Workshop/UK, Reiko Tanabe/JP, Thema Selection/CH, Massimo & Lella Vignelli/IT/US, Nanda Vigo/IT, Herta-Maria Witzemann/DE

The Bigger Picture 2000 – Today

5am Games/CH, Atelier NL/NL, Marjan van Aubel/NL, Birsel + Seck/US, BLESS eine GmbH/DE, Matali Crasset/FR, Ilse Crawford/Studioilse/UK, Annette Douglas Textiles AG/CH, finally./CH, Front/SE, Futuress/international, Catharina Grözinger/DE, Gunjan Gupta/IN, Hahn+Zimmermann/CH, Sarah Harbarth/Kuori/CH, Larissa Holaschke/Gender Salon/CH, Hyphen-Labs/UK/US/ES, Hella Jongerius and Louise Schouwenberg/NL, OAZA/HR, Barbara Kruger/US, Julia Lohmann/DE/FI, Matri-Archi(tecture)/CH/international, Christien Meindertsma/NL, Selina Reiterer and Oliver Maclott/CH, Philomena Schwab/Stray Fawn Studios/CH, Inga Sempé/FR, Nao Tamura/JP/US, Sissel Tolaas/NO, Faye Toogood/UK, Zoë Urand and Roman Engler/Flink/CH, Patricia Urquiola/ES/IT, Völlm + Walthert/CH, Meret Wacker/CH, Paulina Zybinska/CH

An exhibition by / With extensions from / Global Sponsor / Funded by

Information for media professionals


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Luzia Davi
Media/communication

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