City of Women March 8th Statement

The fields of culture and art are domains reflecting our society, preserving its history, and serving as a source of ideas for the future. Until recently, ideas represented by women and sexual minorities were an invisible part of this 'common' cultural heritage. Not so long ago, in 1976, Duba Sambolec created a sculpture titled Women Are Coming, often cited as the first feminist work in Slovenian visual arts. The sculpture, depicting a woman on a motorcycle, emerged as the artist's reaction to her experience studying sculpture. Sambolec was admitted as one of the first three female students at a time when the atmosphere in sculpture studies was dismissive of women artists. Today, the work Women Are Coming is exhibited in the Always Available exhibition at the Moderna galerija in Ljubljana. This and numerous other exhibitions, films, performances, and artistic genres that have emerged in recent years on the Slovenian and international art scene aim to rectify historical mistakes that denied women and other sexual minorities access to the art world. At the City of Women association, we have been advocating for gender equality in culture since the inception of the first Festival of Contemporary Arts - City of Women, which is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary this year. Despite extraordinary contributions from female artists, organizations, and institutions, many areas of culture persist in traditional relationships. Gender stereotypes are still present, emphasizing the urgency of efforts for gender equality in culture and society at large.

- Iva Kovač, Program and Artistic Director

Photo: Asiana Jurca Avci