The BMW Group presents 200 Women Who Will Change the Way You See the World. That is a new book and storytelling exhibition celebrating a diverse group of inspirational women. It opens at Pen + Brush gallery in New York City on May 15 and is supported by BMW Group. That is a free photo exhibition designed to provoke thought on diversity and equality through the stories of 200 women from around the world.
The base of the exhibition is the storytelling project and book of the same name, published by Chronicle Books. Their creators are Geoff Blackwell and Ruth Hobday.
The inspiration for the book was the simple idea of persuading 200 women – regardless of nationality, race, religion, status or celebrity – to answer a series of five questions. In their answers, they are describing what is most important to them in life. The ladies also allowed photographs of them. Photographer Kieran E. Scott took the pictures in front of a plain sheet of fabric. The book features all 200 original interviews and accompanying photographs.
Co-author Geoff Blackwell explained that the intention was not “to simply focus on successful and powerful women”. It was “to highlight the diversity and authenticity of real women with real stories, and bring out the humanity of each individual’s experiences”.
200 Women Who Will Change the Way You See the World – a new book and storytelling exhibition celebrating a diverse group of inspirational women
All of the women in the exhibition and the book are really remarkable. One of them is the recently passed Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. She was a freedom fighter on the front line of the struggle for the people in South Africa. Others are bestselling authors Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Margaret Atwood, actor and activist Gillian Anderson. Also featured are supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, classic violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and conservationist Jane Goodall. There are activists, artists, astronauts, entrepreneurs. And a brave Nepalese woman who has spent most of her life living on the streets of Kathmandu selling cigarettes – one at a time – to support her family.
“Our goal for 200 Women was diversity, and above all, authenticity. And the responses of all of the women we interviewed simultaneously educated, humbled and inspired us,” says co-author Ruth Hobday. “Over and over they were uplifting examples of kindness, selflessness, strength, wisdom, inspiration and the most compellingly of all, truth.”
There will be a preview of the 200 Women Who Will Change the Way You See the World exhibition. It will be at the Frieze New York art fair. BMW will be its partner for the seventh consecutive year.
Following the U.S. show, BMW will also present the exhibition at two separate locations in Munich, Germany. One is at the Alte Bayrische Staatsbank (October 27 – November 21). The other is at the Technical University of Munich (November 28 – December 14).
We are proud to partner for the 7th consecutive year with @FriezeArtFair to present this year’s art fair, held in #NewYork from 4-6 May 2018. The #BMW #7Series will be chauffeuring guests to and from the event in style.#BMWGroupCulture #BMWGroup @BMW #friezeweek #FriezeNY pic.twitter.com/X4ouoVCkdc
— BMW Group (@BMWGroup) May 5, 2018
