Key Operators

The mathematician Ada Lovelace (1815–1852) is widely regarded as a pioneer of computer programming. She recognised the potential of the punched cards in the Jacquard looms and transferred the system (hole/no hole) into a code of ones and zeroes – the same that is used today. The “Rocket Girls”, a.k.a. the “computers” were the women whose computational talent helped get the Apollo mission off the ground in the 1950s. And yet, the historically significant role these women played in developing computers and computer technology is often overlooked.

With its discussion and exhibition project “Key Operators”, the Kunstverein München focuses on the rarely explored topic of female labour and technological progress. How is it that weaving is still considered woman’s work today, whereas coding is largely seen as a male occupation? The binary system inscribed in weaving and programming serves as the starting point of the exhibition and offers an alternative perspective on gender and work. The exhibition presents around 15 international artistic and cross-generational positions which concretely and metaphorically explore the concept of weaving and the feminist history of computer science. The exhibition includes historical works, accompanied by a number of new productions by such artists as Michèle Graf & Selina Grüter, Charlotte Johannesson, Marilou Schultz and Unbidden Tongues. The introductory programme featuring distinguished theorists and artists, e.g. Claire L. Evans, Lars Bang Larsen and Sadie Plan, includes a discussion series, workshops and film screenings aimed to convey knowledge, highlight art production, and reflect on modern forms of representation. The entire project will be accompanied by a generative website, developed in cooperation with the graphic designer and programmer Tatjana Stürmer.

Artistic director: Maurin Dietrich

Artists: Adelhyd van Bender, Michèle Graf & Selina Grüter, Pati Hill, Nour Mobarak, Bea Schlingelhoff, Marilou Schultz, Unbidden Tongues and others

Discussion event programme and exhibition: Kunstverein München e.V., Munich: 3 Jul. 2023 – 28 Jul. 2024