IKONA. Holy Women in Orthodox Art

Debates about the position of women in society have been going on for decades; in recent years, they have become more topical than ever in the wake of gender discourses and the #MeToo movement. The exhibition is the first icon exhibition to focus on the representation of holy women in Orthodox icon painting. The show aims to shed light on the perception and representation of women in other cultures and to trace corresponding historical developments.

Over seventy exhibits from three partner museums and private lenders illustrate the broad spectrum of female holiness. In addition to female martyrs, hermits and nuns, there were also power-conscious rulers who were venerated as saints. The Christian image of women was particularly shaped by Eve and Mary. The exhibition tells the fascinating stories of these women. What do they communicate about the power relations between the sexes? How did they shape the emergence and transmission of formative ideas of femininity? Along the way, the exhibition explores the social function of the veneration of icons of female saints.

Exhibition in cooperation with the Icon Museum Frankfurt am Main and the Icon Museum Kampen (NL).

IKONA. Holy Women in Orthodox Art
12 November 2023 – 17 March 2024
Ikonen-Museum Recklinghausen
Kirchplatz 2a, 45657 Recklinghausen

www.ikonen-museum.com/ausstellungen