More than 130 artworks from across the world are brought together to place women back on the central stage of the developments in Abstraction between 1940 and 1970. The advent of modernity around these years and significant social, political and artistic upheavals led these artists to explore expressive gestures, testifying to women’s newly-obtained forms of freedom.

Inspired by avant-garde movements like Expressionism and Surrealism, these women redefined painting as an arena for action, process, and consciousness. They feed into several artistic movements spreading internationally: French Informal Art, Brazilian Neo-concretism, Japanese Gutai, oriental calligraphy, but also many creative forms making use of space such as performing arts, dance and happening. Themes such as materiality, expression, perception, and gesture are notably explored.

On this occasion, the Fondation Gandur pour l’Art loans "Tyrannosaurus Rex" by Niki de Saint-Phalle.