The Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum in Braunschweig is opening a fascinating dialog between past and present with the exhibition "Weibermacht. The Beautiful Evil", a fascinating dialog between past and present. Over 70 works ranging from prints and paintings to sculptures shed light on the ambivalence of female power from the Middle Ages to the present day. Historical works of art illustrate how women were staged as a threat to patriarchal orders: Aristotle, who lets himself be ridden by Phyllis, or Hercules, who wields a spindle instead of a club with Omphale, symbolize male fear of female self-empowerment. Albrecht Dürer, Lucas van Leyden and Lucas Cranach the Elder shaped the visual language of female power for centuries, from the biblical Eve to the cunning seductress, whose depiction was often associated with fear and mistrust.

These historical works are juxtaposed with contemporary positions by artists such as Cindy Sherman, Nobuyoshi Araki and Ute Behrend, who question classic role models and open up alternative perspectives. With her "Untitled Film Stills", Sherman shows how female identity is constructed and staged in the media, while Tejal Shah's "Women Like Us" presents queer, feminist body images that radically break down traditional attributions. The result is an exciting dialog between continuity and subversion, between old myths and modern self-representations. Curator Anna Eunike Kobsdaj emphasizes: "'Weibermacht. The Beautiful Evil' illuminates ambivalent images of women over the centuries - between fascination, fear and power. Role models still shape social expectations and power structures. The exhibition invites visitors to question traditional ideas and discover new perspectives."

Ute Behrend, Kissing Couple / Girl with Pistol, 1995, on loan from Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2025

The HAUM offers a rich accompanying program: film screenings such as "Widerrechtlich weiblich" in cooperation with the Braunschweig International Film Festival show short films by female directors about resistance and self-determination. Panel discussions, for example on the topic of "Female power between cliché and reality", bring together women from the trades, sport and administration to discuss role models and leadership in practice. Workshops, interactive formats such as a feminist quiz or "Weibermacht Bingo" and a digital magazine expand the discussion in a playful and informative way. Dr. Thomas Richter, Director of HAUM, sums up: "The exhibition, magazine and accompanying program are interlinked, build a bridge to the present and open up new perspectives. 'Weibermacht' is an overdue 'HAUM Unleashed' - a new departure that should inspire our visitors."
The exhibition reveals how female power has been constructed, feared and celebrated in art and society over the centuries - and how these images can be reinterpreted and discussed today. A must-see for anyone who wants to experience art as a mirror of social structures and as a medium of emancipation.
October 24, 2025 to February 22, 2026
www.3landesmuseen-braunschweig.de