Representation Of Women In Art Museums: How Can We Improve Gender Balance In Exhibition Practice?

Abstract

This paper is a summary of my master thesis from 2019. The paper examines the obstacles that artists, who are women, face in their artistic practice and opportunity to have their works exhibited in a Danish context. The paper is the result of a study into the representation of women artists in Danish state art museums; a study stemming from the observation that the prestigious Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition in Copenhagen always exhibits as many (if not more) women than men. Given the well documented imbalance of men and women artists in museum exhibitions around the world, the paper offers some inspiration for curators and museums to look at their own exhibition practice in order to foster gender equity and engage in active history-making.