A Lens of Her Own: New Exhibition

In photography's formative years, women who had been sidelined from other established art forms emerged as trailblazers in the field. They made a living through photography, traveled the globe with their cameras, presented their work in international exhibitions, and essentially represented an early version of "the new woman." During this turbulent period, marked by political, social, and technological upheavals, talented women photographers documented both the awe-inspiring and the terrifying events of their era.

Yet, the golden age of women in photography was short-lived. Following World War II, this field, too, became male-dominated, leading to the obscurity of many pioneering women's names. 20&20 – A Lens of Her Own revisits that era and those women to rectify a historical injustice, finally acknowledging their significant contributions and celebrating a vital yet underappreciated moment in the history of photography.

In addition to experiencing remarkable artworks, the exhibition allows visitors to connect with the creators: women whose lives were disrupted by a global upheaval, leaving behind everything familiar. Many actively participated in the fight. For instance, during World War II, Julia Pirotte combined her camera work with armed resistance; Maria Austria utilized her skills to create forged documents for partisans; and Claude Cahun, along with her partner, circulated sharp-witted anti-Nazi propaganda.

Their challenges persisted even after the war ended. For example, Edith Tudor-Hart established a Soviet espionage network and advocated for workers in Britain; Lou Landauer relocated to Israel and campaigned for the establishment of a photography department at the new Bezalel; and Eva Besnyö utilized her skills to support the feminist movement.

To provide a contemporary perspective on the narrative of photography's pioneers, the curators chose to create a dialogue between twenty groundbreaking Jewish women photographers from the interwar period and twenty contemporary Jewish women photographers, including Israelis, who are currently active worldwide. This artistic discourse deepens our understanding of both contemporary work and its roots in the past century. It revitalizes black-and-white photographs and directs our attention to the connections and contexts that span the Leica era to the "Like" era.

Visitors to the exhibition can anticipate an emotional experience with exceptional works by forty women photographers whose artistic collaboration has persisted for over a hundred years.