When Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus in 1919 he aimed to accept students no matter their age and gender. The Bauhaus archive in Berlin is now exploring the role of women within the Bauhaus movement and the effect of their work with a series of “Female Bauhaus” exhibitions, each dedicated to one figure. The homage to influential female Bauhaus artists kicked off on the 20th of June with a close look at the influential textile artists Benita Koch-Otte.
After working as a teacher for five years she enrolled in Bauhaus in 1920 where she quickly developed a remarkable weaving style. Koch-Otte wove a carpet for a children’s bedroom, which Walter Gropius famously selected to be displayed in Weimar’s art collection. She is also the creator of the carpet adorning the floor of the Bauhaus director’s room.
This exhibition successfully gives a rare insight into the design processes of a creative mastermind; with some 200 pieces, the show includes more than 70 of her sketches and designs, textile and weave samples and pattern research all of which are on show for the first time ever. Photographs of her textiles and working space taken by Hans Finsler and Heinrich Koch are also included.
The next “Female Bauhaus” exhibition will be dedicated to the work of Lou Scheper-Berkenkamp, to open in the Fall.
Text by Grashina Gabelmann
Female Bauhaus: Benita Koch-Otte Textile Designer 1920-1933 20 June – 27 August 2012
