Women and Artistic Creation: Can the Past, Present and Future Be Changed in Terms of Equality?

From different areas of society — particularly in relation to women and feminist movements — there is a demand for every political, economic and social stratum to embark upon a transition towards truly and effectively establishing an equal society. The cultural sphere is no different: the activism undertaken by many women artists calls for greater presence and visibility for women in art and culture, as much to change artists’ present and future as to revise and re-write the past, for art history, literature and film have been built on the foundations of a systematic cancellation of women’s artistic production. 

Moderated by Ángeles González-Sinde, this round-table discussion seeks to explore these issues in greater depth via the experience of three leading figures who, through their work, approach gender equality in culture from different viewpoints: the artist Pilar Albarracín, film producer Valerie Delpierre and writer Laura Freixas.

Participants

Pilar Albarracín (Seville, 1968), one of the most notable artists in Spain’s contemporary art scene, holds a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Seville and currently lives and works between Seville and Madrid. Her work focuses on the analysis of dominant narratives, specifically on the clichés that represent Andalusian identity, through an emotional and subversive immersion in the anthropology of daily life. Popular traditions, folklore, food rituals, religion, myths and the roles of women in the distribution of power are some of the recurring themes in her practice. She has exhibited her work in various national and international museums, art centres and foundations.

Valérie Delpierre is a French independent film producer who lives in Spain. She established Inicia Films in 2006 to develop projects for new talent, focusing specifically on international exposure. Since then, she has produced a number of feature-length films, documentaries and short films, for instance La Maternal, winner of the Concha de Plata Award for Best Leading Actress at the 2022 San Sebastián Film Festival; Enric Ribes’s Cantando en las azoteas (Singing from the Rooftops), which competed at the Sheffield Film Festival and DA; Pilar Palomero’s Las niñas (The Girls), winner of four Goya Awards in 2021, including Best Film; Verano 1993 (Summer 1993) by Carla Simón, which won Best First Feature at Berlinale 2017; Laura Ferrés’s short film Los desheredados (The Disinherited), which won Best Short Film at Cannes Critics’ Week; and Sine Die by Camila Moreiras, selected in 2022 for the IDFA Film Festival.  

Laura Freixas (Barcelona, 1958) studied Law but has always focused her interests on literature. She is the author of novels that include Amor o lo que sea (Love or Whatever it Is, 2005), Los otros son más felices (Other People Are Happier, 2011), the short stories Cuentos a los cuarenta (Stories at the Age of Forty, 2001), essays, and a number of diary volumes. She is also a scholar and promotor of literature written by women. In 1996, she coordinated and wrote the prologue to the anthology Madres e hijas (Mothers and Daughters), and in 2000 published the influential essay Literatura y Mujeres (Literature and Women). She was one of the founders and the first chairwoman of the Clásicas y Modernas Association for Gender Equality from 2009 to 2017. Her most recent books include A mí no me iba a pasar (It Wasn’t Going to Happen to Me, 2019), an autobiography in novel form, Saber quién soy. Diario 1997-1999 (Knowing Who I Am. Diary 1997–1999 [2021]) and ¿Qué hacemos con Lolita? Argumentos y batallas en torno a las mujeres y la cultura (What Shall We Do with Lolita? Arguments and Battles Around Women and Culture, 2022).

Ángeles González-Sinde is chairwoman of the Museo Reina Sofía’s Board of Trustees.