From 17 April to 31 August 2025, Florence’s Palazzo Strozzi will present Time for Women! Empowering Visions in 20 Years of the Max Mara Art Prize for Women, a landmark exhibition marking two decades of one of the most influential awards dedicated to supporting women-identified artists. This retrospective is set to highlight the remarkable collaboration between Max Mara, Whitechapel Gallery, and Collezione Maramotti, while celebrating the prize’s transformative impact on the global art world.
What to expect ...
Housed in the evocative La Strozzina gallery, the exhibition will showcase works by the nine recipients of the prize since its inception in 2005: Margaret Salmon, Hannah Rickards, Andrea Büttner, Laure Prouvost, Corin Sworn, Emma Hart, Helen Cammock, Emma Talbot, and Dominique White. Spanning an array of media – video, installation, sculpture, and wall art – their works reflect the prize’s commitment to fostering diverse and ambitious artistic expression.
For the first time, the exhibition unites projects created during the artists’ six-month residencies in Italy, a cornerstone of the award. These works delve into themes as varied as identity, memory, and the body, as well as societal and political discourses. They draw deeply from Italy’s cultural and historical wealth, exploring commedia dell’arte, motherhood, mythology, monastic life, and reimaginings of the Grand Tour. Interwoven with Italy’s artisan traditions and natural landscapes, the exhibition forms a vibrant mosaic of past and present, individual and collective vision.
What is the prize?
Founded in 2005 by Max Mara and joined by Collezione Maramotti in 2007, the Max Mara Art Prize for Women was the first UK-based visual arts prize exclusively for emerging women artists. Its aim extends beyond visibility, offering recipients the time, resources, and creative freedom to realise their most ambitious projects.
Winners are chosen by an all-female jury of leading figures in the British art scene, with their works premiering in dual exhibitions at Whitechapel Gallery in London and Collezione Maramotti in Reggio Emilia – where they become part of the permanent collection.
The award’s impact is underscored by accolades such as the British Council Arts & Business International Award in 2007, solidifying its status as a cultural catalyst. With Time for Women!, visitors are invited to journey through two decades of groundbreaking artistry and the stories of women who have shaped contemporary visual culture.
For more information on the exhibition and ticketing, visit the Collezione Maramotti website.
