An exhibition vindicates the use of the word from a female universe

Room 28 on Floor 1 of Frederic Marès Museum is hosting the exhibition Dones de paraula (Women of Their Word), curated by Maria Garganté. It is an exhibition that invites us to reflect on the historical role of the female word, and explores how women have used, transmitted, claimed or seen their voice silenced over the centuries.

With a journey that begins in the modern period (16th to 18th centuries) and establishes connections with the contemporary world, the exhibition focuses on women who, in one way or another, ‘took the word’. It highlights figures such as Saint Teresa of Jesus and her writing, or Saint Anne and the knowledge transmitted to Mary, as well as symbolism such as the Immaculate Conception and its link with salvation. At the other extreme, we also deal with the figure of Mary Magdalene, a symbol of concealment and the denial of the word, and the sibyls, bearers of knowledge that is often questioned.

The exhibition is divided into three areas: Virtue or vice: reading and writing in feminine form, which reflects on the role of women in writing and reading; From Santa Anna to Maria: transmission and knowledge, which highlights the female figure as a transmitter of knowledge; and The denied, hidden, questioned word, which analyses the mechanisms of concealment and decryption of the female voice.

Dones de paraula raises the need to elaborate a genealogy of female authors who are solid references and to recover the value of the maternal symbolic order. Throughout history, the word has been an essential instrument for interpreting and communicating reality, but it has traditionally been controlled by male power. The exhibition invites visitors to rethink these stories and to reflect on how the female word still struggles today to be recognised and valued.

For more information, click this link.