Emancipated: the first generation of female architects in Slovakia
8.12.2015 – 15.1.2016, Foyer of the Faculty of Architecture STU
The exhibition is dedicated to six architects, Mária Krukovská, Štefánia Krumlová, Milica Marcinková, Viera Mecková, Oľga Ondreičková, and Lýdia Titlová, who were among the first to operate on the Slovak architectural scene. It emphasizes both their personalities and their works. Exceptional architects and their impressive works will be presented to the public through large-format photographs by renowned photographer Olja Triaška Stefanovičová. Historical material, period photographs, and drawing documentation illustrate the time when these ladies were at the peak of their creative careers.
The first generation of Slovak female architects emerged in the mid-20th century in 1950, when the first graduates of the Slovak School of Architecture finished their studies, amongst whom were four women. They began to emancipate themselves in the architectural profession at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s, during a time when several significant societal processes were occurring in Slovakia. These included a somewhat delayed modernization and industrialization, the emancipation of the Czechoslovak political scene in relation to Soviet power, as well as the culmination of the national emancipation of the Slovaks. All these mentioned processes were reflected in the increased construction production. The boom in construction necessitated the expansion of state project institutes and their gradual specialization. This increased demand in construction opened up opportunities for emerging female architects in the field of design.
The architects began their careers in socialist design within all-male teams. Their complicated situation was aptly characterized by architect Imrich Ehrenberger as a dilemma between the "masculinity" of tasks and the "femininity" of possibilities and conditions, which were predominantly formulated and created by men. The situation was even more complex for female architects on construction sites, where a woman had to prove that she could compete with men. It was expected that female architects could contribute at most in the areas of aesthetics or typology, but certainly not in technological or construction innovation. Nevertheless, some female architects succeeded in asserting themselves as leaders of design teams, proposing and realizing significant public buildings, and earning the highest professional awards for their works.
The exhibition aims to outline a picture of the role of women in Slovak architecture of the last century through reflecting on the personalities and works of six selected architects.
Exhibition curator: Henrieta Moravčíková
Artistic solution: Laura Pastoreková, Martin Zaiček
Exhibition opening: December 8, 2015, 5:00 PM, Foyer of the Faculty of Architecture STU
The exhibition is supported by: Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic, Faculty of Architecture STU, Department of Architecture ÚSTARCH SAV
The first generation of Slovak female architects emerged in the mid-20th century in 1950, when the first graduates of the Slovak School of Architecture finished their studies, amongst whom were four women. They began to emancipate themselves in the architectural profession at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s, during a time when several significant societal processes were occurring in Slovakia. These included a somewhat delayed modernization and industrialization, the emancipation of the Czechoslovak political scene in relation to Soviet power, as well as the culmination of the national emancipation of the Slovaks. All these mentioned processes were reflected in the increased construction production. The boom in construction necessitated the expansion of state project institutes and their gradual specialization. This increased demand in construction opened up opportunities for emerging female architects in the field of design.
The architects began their careers in socialist design within all-male teams. Their complicated situation was aptly characterized by architect Imrich Ehrenberger as a dilemma between the "masculinity" of tasks and the "femininity" of possibilities and conditions, which were predominantly formulated and created by men. The situation was even more complex for female architects on construction sites, where a woman had to prove that she could compete with men. It was expected that female architects could contribute at most in the areas of aesthetics or typology, but certainly not in technological or construction innovation. Nevertheless, some female architects succeeded in asserting themselves as leaders of design teams, proposing and realizing significant public buildings, and earning the highest professional awards for their works.
The exhibition aims to outline a picture of the role of women in Slovak architecture of the last century through reflecting on the personalities and works of six selected architects.
Exhibition curator: Henrieta Moravčíková
Artistic solution: Laura Pastoreková, Martin Zaiček
Exhibition opening: December 8, 2015, 5:00 PM, Foyer of the Faculty of Architecture STU
The exhibition is supported by: Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic, Faculty of Architecture STU, Department of Architecture ÚSTARCH SAV
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