The special exhibition "Tell these people who I am - Women Artists in Expressionism and Fluxus" at the Museum Ostwall in the Dortmunder U puts 30 women artists from two influential eras of the 20th century in the spotlight. The first part, "...a self-evident inner must", presents the work of eight female expressionists who significantly expanded the concept of art of their time through a wide variety of materials and techniques. Works by Renée Sintenis, Lotte Reiniger, Kitty Rix and other female artists show how they fought for new means of expression in a male-dominated art world. The exhibition sheds light on their extraordinary artistic achievements and the difficulties they encountered in art criticism and the exhibition business.
The second part, "Fluxus and Feminism", examines the role of women artists during the emerging women's movement and their participation in the global Fluxus movement. Artists such as Carolee Schneemann and Ana Mendieta are presented, whose works address the relationship between gender roles and art. The exhibition also looks at the particular challenges faced by female artists in this "free" art form and shows how they created groundbreaking works despite social barriers. Collaborations between artist couples such as Yoko Ono and John Lennon or Alison Knowles and Dick Higgins illustrate how personal relationships acted as a source of artistic inspiration.
