The exhibition Matriamorphosis is the radical transformation of the creative process from a solitary, competitive conquest into a communal act of stewardship, recognizing that the labor of care and the friction of living are the true foundations of artistic genius.
When we look back at the old art world, the one that explicitly banned us from its academies and archives, it is easy to assume the battle has been won because the doors are now unlocked. But a door left ajar is not the same as a level playing field. In this industry, many begin the race several meters behind the starting line, weighed down by a system that views the domestic, the maternal, and the communal, as distractions rather than the bedrock of genius.

These hidden systems are brought into light through the work of five artists who refuse to separate their lives from their practice. Whether through Penny Monogiou’s reclamation of the maternal body from religious and mythological archetypes, or Maria Lukomsky’s insistence on discussing the emotional labor and vulnerability that the “intellectual” market so often dismisses, we see the body fighting back against its own erasure. This resistance continues as Nadja Verena Marcin deconstructs the performative roles women are expected to inhabit within male-authored narratives, while Shir Shoval-Simhoni uses repetitive manual labor to mimic and critique the bureaucratic structures that dictate our value. Finally, Elinor Sahm counters the clinical, patriarchal archive by channeling “old ghosts” through storytelling; her work gives presence to familial narratives and mystical spaces, proving that the personal and the fantastical are rooted in a very real, lived experience.

To center “women’s” labor is to demand a shift toward matriarchal values: a recognition that creativity is an act of stewardship rather than conquest. We have moved past the era of explicit exclusion, yet we remain trapped in an architecture designed for a person who has no one to care for but their own legacy. Once we acknowledge that this framework no longer fits the reality of who is making art today, we can stop trying to fit into these unrealistic roles and start changing the system accordingly.

Based in Berlin and active across Europe, Lihi Shmuel is a multidisciplinary creative and curator working at the intersection of contemporary art and community innovation. Their curatorial practice is rooted in a collaborative, hands-on approach. With a background in art

mediation and facilitation of several initiatives, Shmuel focuses on the generative power of art, advocating for its accessibility as a tool for collective expression and institutional transformation.

 

Participating Artists

 

 

 

Nadja Verena Marcin

nadjamarcin.com

Sissi, 2005 (c) Nadja Verena Marcin & VG Bild-Kunst

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Penny Monogiou

pennymonogiou.art

STILL LEBEN, 2025

Altar- Stainless steel and aluminum.

Icons- Oil, oil pastel, and gold leaf on wood, aluminum casting, video
143 x 86 x 17cm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shir Shoval Shimoni

shirshovalsimhoni.cargo.site

The other woman, 2025
Silkscreen mesh, digital print on paper, turpentine print on photo paper, digital print on transparency paper
15 x 21cm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elinor Sahm

elinorsahm.com

Ani VeRonen (Uncle and Niece), 2024
Oil pencil and graphite on canvas
110 x 90cm
Photo credit: Boaz Arad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maria Lukomsky

lukomsky.art

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lihi Shmuel is part of GlogauAIR’s recently established curatorial residency program. Curatorial residents have the opportunity to meet and engage with the artists and curators in our program, as well as develop their own projects.