Female. Focus. Photo Archives. Exhibition at Fotostiftung Schweiz Highlights Overlooked Women Photographers

Set to open on 28 February at Fotostiftung Schweiz in Winterthur, the exhibition titled Female. Focus. Photo Archives. tackles the issue of women's underrepresentation in Swiss photography from 1900 to 1970. It presents seven archives, revealing that only 26 out of around 160 are attributed to women. Featured photographers include Anny Wild-Siber, Gertrud Dübi-Müller, Marie Ottomann-Rothacher, Margrit Aschwanden, Hedy Bumbacher, Leni Willimann-Thöni, and Anita Niesz, emphasizing their roles and the effects of gender and societal norms. The exhibition reinterprets archives as vital spaces for inquiry, challenging the perception of photography as a female-oriented profession and examining economic influences, while promoting discussions on inclusion, authorship, and cultural memory.