On December 19th 2011, at the general assembly of the VBKÖ (The Austrian Association of Women Artists) a new executive board was elected and now consists of Veronika Dirnhofer and Lina Dokuzovic.
With the intention of opening the space and creating a new structure that permits more transparency, we will be redesigning membership modalities, establishing a wider executive board, and introducing an external advisory board.
With these structural adaptations we want to create a wider base of members and thereby encourage support and participation in various ways.
We want the VBKÖ to be a place that fosters contemporary feminist artistic agendas, that offers a space for experiments and supports political and activist work.
We want an Association that supports the advancement of artists today by benefiting from access to the historical archive in order to learn from the rich, complex and important history of the VBKÖ as well as gaining a foothold in contemporary spaces for artistic production.
We consider these changes as a chance to make new lively connections between the historically important association of women artists and contemporary queer feminist art production.
We want to create an infrastructure that supports the development and the expansion of the founding principles, a VBKÖ that is always in the becoming.
The next general assembly will take place on Feb 1st 2012 at 7 pm in order to inaugurate this round of changes.
More information and an official invitation to the general assembly will be sent out soon.
On behalf of the VBKÖ,
Elke Auer, Veronika Dirnhofer, Lina Dokuzovic, Hilde Fuchs, Nina Höchtl, Esther Straganz, Angela Wiedermann and Julia Wieger
HYMNE DER VBKÖ
written by Eva J. 2010
Der Zugang blieb verschlossen
Triumphe stets vergällt
Dem Gleichheitsdrängen trotzend
Schloss man sie aus der Welt
Doch durstig stets die Kunst
Nach Freiheit bar Geschlecht
Daran sollst du erinnern
Und deshalb sollst du steh’n
Noch hundert weit‘re Jahr
Oh VBKÖ!
Nach einem freien Orte
Fern herrschaftlichen Hohns
Sehnten sich uns’re Schwestern
Du bist des Kampfes Lohn
Denn durstig stets die Kunst
Nach Freiheit bar Geschlecht!
Daran sollst du erinnern
Und deshalb sollst du steh’n
Noch hundert weit‘re Jahr
Oh VBKÖ!
Du stellst im hellen Lichte
Die Wahrheitssuche aus
Du zeugst von wahrer Größe
Denn offen steht dein Haus
Für Kunst die durstet stets
Nach Freiheit bar Geschlecht!
Daran sollst du erinnern
Und deshalb sollst du steh’n
Noch hundert weit’re Jahre
Oh VBKÖ!
