Layers of women’s lives

“Layers of women’s lives – Looking back at collaborative collages from 1975” is the title of the exhibition at the Swiss National Library running from 8 March to 14 June 2025. It presents a series of collages from 1975 that reflect women’s lives. Visitors are also invited to take part in a collaborative work during their visit.

Frauenkleben — A work from the exhibition “Layers of women’s lives”

In 1975 – to mark International Women’s Year – the Swiss National Library presented an exhibition of unique collages on the theme of women. The works were created as part of a competition run by the newspaper Basler Zeitung, which invited readers to reflect creatively on the role of women in society. The collages, made up of clippings from newspapers and magazines from the 1970s, not only offer a window into that time, but also give us something to think about today. The issues that mattered then – equality, role models and social change – still matter now. The exhibition not only shows how women were seen at the time, but also shines a light on what has changed in the intervening five decades, and what hasn’t.

In the exhibition ‘Layers of women’s lives’, we focus on a specific art form: collage. And we invite you to grab some scissors and glue and take part in a collaborative work, which will be brought to life in the National Library’s exhibition room.

Flyer “Layers of women’s lives” exhibition (PDF, 1 MB, 27.02.2025)