IKONA. Holy Women

Holy women are protagonists in the history of religion, they are rulers, helpers and healers, as well as shapers of their own environments. The exhibition IKONA. Holy Women at the Museum Angewandte Kunst is the first to be dedicated to the diversity of their historical functions, hard-won scope for action and current social significance.

78 iconic depictions from six different countries tell the stories of women from early Christianity to the late 19th century. They demonstrate the great importance of holy women in traditions influenced by the Eastern Church, right up to the present day. Through the icons, they are venerated, sung about, kissed and called upon for help and healing. Their stories raise questions concerning spiritual practice in the context of sacred art, as well as about the tradition of power relations, role models and how they might change. The skilfully crafted icons are not only evidence of religious practice, but also of diverse forms of expression in applied art.

Exhibiting such a multifaceted spectrum of female holiness in various local traditions and different media at the Museum Angewandte Kunst is possible thanks to the unprecedented collaboration of the three largest icon museums in Western Europe in Kampen (Netherlands), Recklinghausen and Frankfurt am Main.

The site-specific sound installation VIRIDESCENCE transforms mystical compositions by Saint Hildegard of Bingen into new sonic variations, thus showcasing the diversity of female holiness.

Curators:  Dr. Konstanze Runge in collaboration with Liesbeth van Es and Dr. Lutz Rickelt
Director: Matthias Wagner K
Press contact: Natali-Lina Pitzer, T +49 (0)69 212 75339