“Woman is a marginalised being, whether she is a nun or a prostitute”, wrote Maria Aurelia Capmany next to one of the portraits of Colita in “Antifémina”.
The exhibition “Colita. Antifémina”, in the Sala Goya at the Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid, recovers the book Antifémina, republished in 2021 by Terranova and Barcelona City Council.
This posthumous exhibition will be on until 5 May 2024 and marks the 46th anniversary of the book created by Colita (Isabel Steva Hernández) and Maria Aurèlia Capmany during the Spanish Transition. Regarded as the first openly feminist photographic work, the book was quickly withdrawn from the market in 1977, but became a cult publication among critics, acclaimed for what it represented. The exhibition highlights the value of the book and makes the case for two brave intellectual women who fought to dignify the role of women during a sexist period.
The display offers a route through “Antifémina” with Pandora Mirabilia, a feminist association that highlights the situation of women marginalised during the dictatorship. Through guided tours, the exhibition regains “anti-women”, the antithesis of the ideal woman in the Francoist regime, relegated to the role of “home, cooking and mending clothes”, and points to the importance of the book and the courage of Colita and Maria Aurèlia Capmany in their feminist struggle.
“And what we’ll see is none other than contact with reality, and nothing is more stimulating, more corrosive and more revolutionary than reality” (Maria Aurèlia Capmany).
Restoration of original negatives
The tour of the exhibition lasts an hour and is curated by Francesc Polop. Years later, Colita and the same Polop, director of her archive, regained the project by locating and restoring the negatives. The exhibition is organised by La Fàbrica and the Círculo de Belles Artes, with the collaboration of the Arxiu Colita. Prices are € 5,5 for normal admission, € 4 for reduced rates and free for members. The exhibition is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am to 2 pm, and 5 pm to 9 pm, closed on Mondays.