"3 Positions of the Women's Era – in Dialogue with VALIE EXPORT"

Gallery Steiner, Vienna – featuring works by ARTHENA MAXX, Gabriele Scharmer & Margot Holzapfel

Vienna (ptp004/25.08.2026/00:25)

Vienna, August 2026 – Gallery Steiner – Vienna is currently presenting the widely acclaimed exhibition "3 Positions of the Women's Era – in Dialogue with VALIE EXPORT", featuring new works by Austrian artists ARTHENA MAXX, Gabriele Scharmer, and Margot Holzapfel. The exhibition has attracted significant international attention for its contemporary reinterpretation of key themes from the feminist avant‑garde and its strong conceptual engagement with the legacy of VALIE EXPORT.

A Transgenerational Dialogue with VALIE EXPORT

The three artistic positions enter into a conceptual exchange with the radical work of VALIE EXPORT, the pioneering media and performance artist who passed away in 2023. Each artist responds to EXPORT's feminist visual language through her own medium, creating a multi‑layered panorama addressing female autonomy, identity, vulnerability, resistance, and self‑empowerment.

ARTHENA MAXX – Feminist Provocation and Contemporary Force

ARTHENA MAXX presents a new series that extends EXPORT's radical aesthetic into the present. Her works confront themes such as femicide, sexualized violence, social inequality, beauty norms, and economic dependency, transforming them into a visual manifesto of female resilience. Her position forms the intellectual and emotional core of the exhibition.

Gabriele Scharmer – The New Image of Femininity

Gabriele Scharmer explores the tension between self‑image and external perception in her portraits and female nude studies. Under the guiding theme "Trapped in Sexism? Or a Facet of the Relationship Game?", she opens a resonant space between vulnerability and strength, questioning how femininity is constructed, perceived, and negotiated.

Margot Holzapfel – Chromatic Liberation

Margot Holzapfel contributes an expressive, color‑intense series that erupts into chromatic ecstasy. Her works translate inner emotional landscapes into powerful explosions of color. Here, color becomes a feminist medium — loud, free, and unapologetically self‑determined.

A Celebration of the Women's Era

The opening event attracted a diverse audience from culture, politics, business, and the international art scene, underscoring the exhibition's relevance in contemporary discussions on equality and artistic autonomy. A video impression of the opening is available via the gallery's social media channels.

Exhibition Details

Venue: Gallery Steiner, Kurrentgasse 4, 1010 Vienna

Exhibition: "3 Positions of the Women's Era – in Dialogue with VALIE EXPORT"

Artists: ARTHENA MAXX · Gabriele Scharmer · Margot Holzapfel

Duration: until 12 September 2026

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