The body is political—as the works of artist Annegret Soltau (b. 1946) impressively demonstrate. Her art has been causing a stir since the 1970s and remains as relevant as ever. Long considered an insider’s tip despite her art historical significance, Soltau’s work is now regarded as one of the most important positions in feminist photography and body art.
About the Exhibition
Over the course of more than six decades and despite all resistance, Soltau’s independent, radically feminist visual language has established her as an indispensable voice in contemporary art. The Städel Museum is dedicating the first comprehensive retrospective to her, developed in collaboration with the artist. With more than eighty works, the exhibition offers a comprehensive insight into her multifaceted œuvre, which ranges from drawings to extended photography, video and installation. Central themes in Soltau’s work include feminism, body politics and the challenge of human and female identity. To this end, she has developed her own innovative techniques that transcend the boundaries of photography—photo-sewing, photo-restitching and photo-etching.
Annegret Soltau (*1946)
Divided MOTHER Column, 1980–1981
Annegret Soltau (*1946)
Surgical Operations, 11.10.2001, 2001
Annegret Soltau (*1946)
MotherDaughterFatherSon, 76, 2005
Annegret Soltau (*1946)
Enclosed, 1973
In her self-portraits, Soltau questions female role models and sheds light on social norms by visualising complex emotional worlds, inner conflicts and states of mind. Since the 1970s, she has devoted herself to an artistic exploration of motherhood and pregnancy—themes that have been underrepresented in art for centuries and have only recently begun to receive increasing attention in both society and the art world. Her work is also a poignant expression of the ageing of the female body and questions of mortality. Soltau’s work was repeatedly subjected to public censorship; her depictions deviated from established aesthetic and social norms and were perceived as provocative. The exhibition at the Städel Museum is an important corrective to this reception and a long overdue tribute to this great feminist and artist.
Curator
Svenja Grosser (Head of Contemporary Art, Städel Museum)
Sponsors & Patrons
Sponsored by
Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne, Cultural Foundation of Hesse
With additional support from
Yoram Roth
