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Exhibition about Helga Goetze: West Berlin's feminist icon shines!
Opening of the exhibition “Female being, spiritually interested in many things, seeks” on Helga Goetze in the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Museum on September 25, 2025. Admission free.
Exhibition about Helga Goetze: West Berlin's feminist icon shines!
On September 25, 2025, the exhibition “Female being, intellectually interested in many things, looking for – Helga Goetze” will open in the Museum Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Villa Oppenheim. The event begins at 7 p.m. and is part of a broad tribute to the artist and activist Helga Goetze, who is known for her tireless work in the area of sexuality and self-empowerment. The exhibition will be on view until March 15, 2026 and offers a comprehensive insight into Goetze's life and work, which is closely linked to the feminist movement in West Berlin. Admission to the exhibition is free and it is presented in both German and English.
Helga Goetze was a defining figure in the West Berlin art scene in the 1980s. She was known for her provocative actions and described herself as an “inevitable disruptor.” She spread her political messages of sexual liberation through a variety of artistic expressions such as embroidery, drawings and poems. These works often caused irritation and uncertainty in public spaces, which are central themes of the exhibition. The title of the exhibition is inspired by the advertisements that Goetze placed at the time looking for male acquaintances.
A multi-layered accompanying program
In addition to the exhibition, the museum offers a varied accompanying program. These include city tours to places that were important to Goetze and the feminist movements in West Berlin, as well as critical crafting workshops that deal with textile activism. Storytelling salons are also organized where relatives and companions of Helga Goetze have their say. In addition, curator tours are part of the program.
The show is realized in collaboration with the Stadtmuseum Berlin Foundation and the feminist archive FFBIZ and receives financial support from the Capital Culture Fund. This cooperation and funding are of great importance to illustrate Goetze's legacy and the relevance of her messages today.
Feminist art in focus
The exhibition is not only a homage to Goetze, but also moves in the context of the feminist art movement that was defined in the 1970s. Feminist artists deconstruct gender roles and address their own femininity, which can also be seen in Goetze's work. Topics such as patriarchy, body image and the social role of women are at the center of her artistic exploration. Important artists of this movement such as Judy Chicago and Miriam Schapiro made a significant contribution to anchoring feminist themes in art history through their works.
Feminist art has given many artists a voice over the decades and brought disadvantaged art forms such as handicrafts and textile art into the spotlight. This tradition can also be found in the work of Helga Goetze, whose art raises not only aesthetic but also social and political questions.
This exhibition revives Helga Goetze's influence on the art and activism scene and examines her legacy in a contemporary light that reflects both the challenges and achievements of the feminist movement.