Andrea Bowers Combats Gender Stereotypes at GAM Milano

Andrea Bowers (born 1965 in Wilmington) presents a solo exhibition at GAM – Galleria d’Arte Moderna in Milan, curated by Bruna Roccasalva and promoted by Fondazione Furla. Titled 'Moving in Space Without Asking Permission', the show spans five rooms on the ground floor and features works across drawing, video, installation, and neon. The neon sign 'Another Kind of Strength' (2022) greets visitors, leading to the documentary 'Overcoming the Myth of Masculine Force' (2022) on Alessandra Chiricosta’s feminist self-defense lesson at Villa Reale. Installations include 'Political Ribbons' (2022), where visitors take colored satin ribbons as solidarity symbols, and 'Feminist Fans' (2022), a carpet of 153 combat fans. The exhibition also displays iconic collage-on-recycled-cardboard paintings like 'Sisters Be Strong' (2013) and new works such as 'Total Bodily Autonomy' (2022). Bowers’ practice addresses gender equality, women’s rights, labor, immigration, and environmentalism, making complex topics accessible. The project engages with contemporary feminism and Italy’s historical emancipation movement, as GAM’s permanent collection spans the late 19th to early 20th centuries.