Judy Chicago: Revelations, this year’s art exhibition of the Ruhrfestspiele, showcases a pioneer of Feminist Art. Born in the United States in 1939, Judy Chicago gained prominence in the late 1960s for making work from a woman-centered perspective, which challenged the male-dominated landscape of the art world. An artistic polymath, Chicago’s work is characterised by a commitment to craft and experimentation, evident in her subject matter, methodology and choice of material. Throughout her six-decade career, Chicago has developed a distinctive visual language that contests the absence and erasure of women in the Western cultural canon. Her individual and collaborative projects address themes of women’s history; birth; masculinity; notions of power; the Holocaust; death and extinction; and a longstanding concern for climate justice.

The exhibition was organised and curated by Serpentine, London, and has been reimagined now to suit the unique conditions of the Kunsthalle. Marking the artist’s first comprehensive survey in Germany, it takes its name from an unpublished illuminated manuscript Chicago penned in the early 1970s whilst creating The Dinner Party (1974–79)—a monumental installation that symbolises the achievements of 1038 women, now permanently housed at the Brooklyn Museum, New York. With 160 exhibits—including works on paper, needlework, and historical photographs and videos of her Atmospheres series in the Californian desert, many being shown in Germany for the first time—this exhibition is a significant survey dedicated to one of the most important living artists today.

In addition to an accompanying performance program, visitors can expect a kaleidoscopic insight into Judy Chicago’s universe, the central message of which is embodied in the core question from one of Chicago’s participatory works What if Women Ruled the World? That had its origins in the early 1990's, was expanded with the fashion house Dior in 2020, and has morphed into a digital quilt that has travelled the world. The exhibition is a highlight of the 75th anniversary celebrations of Kunsthalle Recklinghausen, presented as part of the Ruhrfestspiele 2025.

Judy Chicago: Revelations – Ruhrfestspiele Art Exhibition 2025 is initiated and organised by the Serpentine, London with Kunsthalle Recklinghausen. Curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director at Serpentine, London, and Chris Bayley, Exhibitions Curator at Serpentine, London, with Liz Stumpf, Assistant Exhibitions Curator at Serpentine, London; and Nico Anklam, Director of the Municipal Museums and Head of Kunsthalle Recklinghausen, with Kerstin Weber-Baumann, Exhibitions Curator at Kunsthalle Recklinghausen.