Curated by Turner Prize-winning artist and cultural activist Lubaina Himid CBE, Found Cities, Lost Objects: Women in the City launches at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery from 14 May - 4 September 2022, before touring the UK.
This new Arts Council Collection touring exhibition explores shared female experiences of urban life, considering the privileges enjoyed and boundaries faced by women in the modern city.
Lubaina Himid CBE, artist, said: “Found Cities, Lost Objects challenges the status quo by encouraging viewers to discover the city through the eyes of female artists. Women traditionally inhabit cities via retail and healthcare venues and, for those with the means, theatres, galleries and cafés. But how can women expand their presence beyond this for everyone’s benefit as the landscape on the high street changes?”
The display brings together a group of over 60 modern and contemporary works, including painting, sculpture, photography and film. It addresses themes ranging from safety and navigation to concepts of belonging and power, questioning our understanding of the urban environment and encouraging a rediscovery of our cities.
Deborah Smith, Director, Arts Council Collection, said: “It’s always exciting to see what fresh perspective artists will bring and what stories they will tell when we give them an open brief to curate the Arts Council Collection. The Collection has enjoyed a long relationship with Lubaina, from acquiring her work in 1988 to her show, Meticulous Observations, at the Walker Gallery, Liverpool, where she mined the depths of the Collection.
“Found Cities, Lost Objects’ impressive pedigree of female artists offers new perspectives on urban life and helps us understand how art is a powerful tool in shaping our cities and the world around us.”