MoMoWo

To the Fore: Female Pioneers in Slovenian Architecture and Design

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27 June - 9 September 2016 | DESSA Gallery | Ljubljana, Slovenia

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Architecture exhibition “To the Fore: Female Pioneers in Slovenian Architecture and Design”, prepared by Centre of Architecture and the France Stele Institute of Art History of ZRC SAZU, in collaboration with DESSA Gallery, aims to shed light on the life and work of a neglected part of Slovenian architectural creation and provides an opportunity to highlight –from the rich architectural body of work of the 20th century– the works that are only rarely exhibited and showcased, but nonetheless important, high-quality, and multi-layered.
The exhibition was prepared under the patronage of the project MoMoWo – Women’s Creativity since the Modern Movement with a view to present to the professional community and public an important part of the “anonymous” and withheld European cultural heritage of the 20th century, created by the women involved in architecture, interior and industrial design, landscape architecture, and urban design, i.e. fields that are (supposed to be) in the traditional domain of male professions.
The first in the series of exhibitions is dedicated to the female pioneers, the first pre-war and post-war generations of female architects who played an active role in drafting, designing, and leaving a mark on the environment of their time. They were the silent companions working in the shadow of professionally more acknowledged and known professors, colleagues, fathers, and husbands, so that, even nowadays, it is difficult to determine their actual part in the design and implementation of many Slovenian architectural masterpieces. The exhibition has a multi-layered design, with a focus on the quality of works and the complexity of the idea, revealing the creative power of the authors. The works of ten architects are presented: Vladimira Bratuž – Laka, Majda Dobravec Lajovic, Magda Fornazarič Kocmut, Marta Ivanšek, Nives Kalin Vehovar, Juta Krulc, Seta Mušič, Dušana Šantel, Gizela Šuklje and Branka Tancig Novak.