Art by women in public space

The patriarchal character of public space is also evident in the culture of monuments. It was only in 2004 that the first monument to a woman was unveiled in Zurich. It commemorates the forgotten abbess Katharina von Zimmern. The usual figurative representation on a plinth was dispensed with, as there is no pictorial tradition of the abbess. The artist Anna-Maria Bauer (*1947) has therefore elevated the plinth itself to a work of art. In their abstract design, the copper blocks also bear witness to women who are barely recognised in the historical canon.

Apropos Katharina von Zimmern!

In order to avoid triggering a civil war during the turmoil of the Reformation, the abbess of the Fraumünster Abbey at the time, Katharina von Zimmern, handed over the key to the cathedral to the Zurich City Council in December 1524 without resistance.

To commemorate this wise and prudent woman, a 40-metre-high art installation will be erected next to the Fraumünster from 20 August to 10 December 2024. The tower, built on 29 pillars (each pillar stands for one of the 29 abbesses of the Fraumünster), is intended to symbolically replicate the old, demolished south tower of the Fraumünster. The tower is clad with green strips of fabric, which add up to a total length of 1,000 metres. The ribbons are printed with the names of 500 important Zurich women.

A varied supporting programme will surround the installation until December.

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The French artist Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002) is best known for her initially ridiculed Nanas: colourful, female bodies with pronounced curves. One of these also adorns Zurich's railway station concourse, where she has been hovering over the heads of thousands and thousands of passers-by since 1997. Although the bright blue figure with the angel's wings was attached to the ceiling, it is hard to miss and serves as a meeting point for many. Above all, however, L'ange protecteur is intended to watch over all travellers, as the artist explained at the inauguration of the work.

A bright orange-coloured staircase rises up on the dull forecourt of the Hallenstadion. It is the fountain sculpture Sirius by Annemie Fontana (1925-2002). The artist originally designed it for Escher-Wyss-Platz, whose appearance she characterised from 1972 to 2009. Although the sculpture, which was initially frowned upon as desolate, was dismantled due to tram works, the question of its whereabouts was repeatedly raised by the public. Thus began a three-year search for a location, which ended in Oerlikon. There it gave many Zurich residents a happy reunion.

A 15-metre-high pink and yellow mast towers in the middle of Heimplatz. The absurd colour figure on the old-fashioned square is initially irritating. Only at night does the artwork by Pipilotti Rist (*1962) unfold its full effect: as soon as it gets dark, she illuminates the entire square with coloured light spots and video projections. The light and video installation Tastende Lichter is the only work by a woman in the outdoor space of the Kunsthaus. However, the installation enhances all the surrounding sculptures and buildings by the play of light it creates.

By the way: If you're interested in even more exciting women from Zurich, you can find out more on the two-hour city tour "Zürichs starke Frauen"!