Prehistoric depictions of women as a mandate for contemporary art

Depictions of women in prehistoric art have inspired generations of artists to explore the female body, its charisma and power. Not only because the forms were stimulating and new for the art of the early 20th century, but above all because they told history differently, in a female way. The oldest art thus became an important treasure trove of motifs for feminist art since the second half of the twentieth century. The exhibition presents prehistoric depictions of human beings from Austria and Europe and juxtaposes them with works by international and contemporary female artists. The earliest iconic female representations originate from the context of hunter-gatherer societies that inhabited the Eurasian steppes during the Ice Age. Neolithic Venus figures are often moulded from clay and are associated with the home and hearth. The play with gender and sexuality, the blending of different categories, such as femininity and masculinity or man and animal, are illustrated by finds from the metal ages. The unbroken active reception of archaeological finds, their further development, popular processing and commercialisation represent the link to the present.