Artists fought and still fight for their place and visibility in the cultural milieu. History of art, after all, has always been dominated by men, something which is still visible to this very day. Even the Franzensfeste Fortress was a place where men ruled. It was designed and built as a military infrastructure, and for decades the fortress was only accessible to men. It has only been open to the public in the last ten years or so and is now a place of cultural encounter.

From that moment onwards, women have also collaborated in different exhibitions which took place at the fortress, presenting their works in the halls of the Franzensfeste. For this reason, we find it incredibly interesting to see how artists appropriate this room and intervene with their art.
How do they interpret this space which for decades was only accessible to men? How does it influence them? Can they feel a sense of implicit masculinity pervade the space? How does this affect the art, works, and the artists who exhibit here?

We have asked artists to think about these questions and their impact on them as women.
On 8 March, International Women's Day, we let them have their say: Julia Bornefeld, Ruth Gamper, Elisa Grezzani, Annemarie Laner, Valeria Sanguini, Sara Welponer.

Valeria Sanguini

Sara Welponer