The Network of Art Museums of Catalonia publishes a census of more than 1.300 identified artists
On the occasion of International Women's Day, the Network of Art Museums of Catalunya takes a historic step by revealing a census that identifies more than 1.300 artists present in its collections. This project, headed by the National Museum and led by its Feminisms and Identities Commission, aims to give voice and recognition to women in the art world, recovering them and expanding the historical narrative of the participating museums.
Since 2019, the Network of Art Museums of Catalonia has been working on the research and study of these artists, with the aim of vindicating their role in the history of Catalan art and promoting the dissemination of their creations. Directed by the researcher Elina Norandi, this census covers the period from the 17th century to present day, highlighting the wealth of female talent, especially in contemporary art. DHub, as a member of the Network, has participated in the project with the identification of seventy-four ceramic artists of the 20th century that form part of the collection of the DHub-Design Museum.
The census, available from today on the Network's website, aims to create a female artistic genealogy that enriches both the museum and academic spheres, and encourages the detection of gaps in public collections, thus stimulating the presence of artists' works through new acquisitions.
In parallel to the census, "Voice and Memory" is launched, consisting of a series of interviews with some of these artists, conceived to collect the testimony of their experiences, especially during the Franco dictatorship. Through these oral witnesses, it seeks to highlight the importance of their contribution to art and to underline the obstacles they had to face in a context of oppression and lack of freedom, such as the experiences of the ceramists Núria Pié and Madola.