This exhibition highlights the often-overlooked work and lives of female artists within the Amsterdam School movement. It showcases their diverse oeuvres, including textiles, ceramics, graphic design, and architecture, alongside the turbulent world in which they were created.
Museum Het Schip presents 'Unseen Talent: Women of the Amsterdam School', an exhibition dedicated to illuminating the achievements of female artists associated with this influential movement. Many works featured are displayed for the first time, spanning textiles, ceramics, graphic design, and architecture. The exhibition not only showcases the breadth of their creative output but also delves into the historical and social contexts of the interwar years (1918–1939), a period marked by clashing conservative and progressive ideas. It revisits significant moments like the 'The Woman 1813–1913' exhibition and explores the roles women played in the art world of the 1920s and 1930s.
The exhibition tells the stories of pioneers such as architect Margaret Kropholler, graphic artist Tine Baanders, and sculptor Louise Beijerman, alongside textile designer Marie Kuyken, craftswoman Cathrien Bogtman, painter Else Berg, dancer Gertrud Leistikow, and mask maker Grietje Kots. These women pushed boundaries in their respective fields, with Kropholler developing innovative architectural concepts and Beijerman excelling in sculpture, a discipline then considered unsuitable for women. The exhibition also highlights figures like ceramicist Lea Halpern, known for her expressive glazes. Furthermore, 'Unseen Talent' connects the past to the present by featuring video portraits of contemporary female artists, architects, and feminists who reflect on the exhibition's themes and their relevance to modern experiences, with a special site-specific work by artist Cristina Flores Pescorán.