Munich, April 7, 2025 – The ARTMUC art fair, one of the most important hybrid platforms for contemporary art in southern Germany, will once again open its doors in Munich from May 1 to 4, 2025. Since its foundation in 2014, ARTMUC has supported social projects with every edition. This year, she is involved in the international “Stop Female Genital Mutilation” project to raise awareness of this pressing social issue. In cooperation with the Soroptimist Club Dubai, works of art will be made available for a silent auction. The proceeds go directly to an aid project.

International female artists set an example

More than 200 international artists show their works at ARTMUC. A special highlight: Petra Kaltenbach, the renowned artist from Dubai, is donating a sculpture from her “Everybody’s Darling” series for the silent auction. Petra uses the pomegranate as a symbol of transformation. For them, this divine fruit is a symbol that represents transformative qualities such as love, beauty, health and wealth. Petra represents the pomegranate as a sign of hope and promise, full of life, but also full of myths and legends. It captures their spirit and love of nature and conveys a message of optimism and positive energy to its viewers.

“The pomegranate is feminine and spreads love into the world – that is exactly the meaning of my artwork. Because love is the greatest transformation factor,” says Petra Kaltenbach.

Antje M. Pohsegger: Photographic art against violence

Photographer Antje M. Pohsegger from Berlin is also involved in the project. A central concern of her work is “breaking blades- break off FGM/ C”, a photo-journalistic exhibition that deals with the topic in a multimedia artistic way. Since 2019, she has been dedicated to this project with the aim of giving those affected a voice and raising awareness of this issue.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a form of violence against women and a violation of their human rights. A girl’s genitals are deliberately injured every 11 seconds – worldwide! The most common explanation is that of tradition: circumcision symbolizes a commitment to the traditions and values of the family or tribe and is rewarded with social recognition of the role as a woman.

“It remains important to talk about taboos, to break them and thereby protect girls and young women. You should be able to make your own decisions about your body,” explains Antje Pohsegger. She has created a work of art especially for the silent auction at ARTMUC, which can be bid on.

Manuela Nitsche: Arts and crafts with meaning

Manuela Nitsche is the current president of Soroptimist International Germany and is also taking part in the auction. The master goldsmith and member of the Soroptimist Club Munich 2002 is the first female master craftswoman to head the organization. As a self-employed entrepreneur, she combines her career, voluntary work and private life – and thus represents a generation of women who bear responsibility on many levels.

She is making one of her own pieces of jewelry available for the silent auction. “Every piece of jewelry becomes a companion to the person who wears it. I want my designs to be long-lasting companions and always bring brilliance and joy.

Speaking about her work as a Soroptimist, she adds: “Our society is fast-paced and complex. Strong networks are needed to tackle the pressing issues of the future. It’s about creating visible connections and standing up together as a global voice for women.”

The silent auction: bidding on art, doing good

The silent auction will take place during the four days of ARTMUC. Visitors have the opportunity to place bids on the exhibited works of art and thus actively contribute to supporting the project.

With this initiative, ARTMUC proves once again that art can not only inspire, but also bring about social change.

About Soroptimist International

Soroptimist International (SI) is one of the world’s largest networks of women with socio-political commitment. SI is party-politically and denominationally neutral and unites personalities from all continents, cultures and professions to work for the improvement of living conditions for women and girls worldwide.