Paris, 24 March 2026 – The exhibition Mémoires de femmes was inaugurated yesterday at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Director-General Åsa Regnér, delivering her first public remarks in her new role, and Letizia Moratti, President of the Associazione Genesi and promoter of the project. Despite an already full schedule of institutional engagements, UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany made a point of attending, arriving directly from a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron at the Institut du Monde Arabe, thereby underscoring the importance of the initiative.
The exhibition seeks to highlight and give voice to women’s role as key contributors to collective memory. Promoted by the Permanent Delegation in collaboration with the Associazione Genesi and the San Patrignano Foundation, and curated by Ilaria Bernardi, Mémoires de femmes presents a selection of twelve works across a range of artistic media, creating a dialogue among artists from different generations and cultural backgrounds. The exhibition features works by Louise Nevelson, Agnes Martin, Marisa Merz, Anna Boghiguian, Mona Hatoum, Doris Salcedo, Sabrina Mezzaqui, Monica Bonvicini, Vanessa Beecroft, Rä Di Martino, Shilpa Gupta, and Binta Diaw. These works explore themes such as memory, identity, migration, and rights, offering a multifaceted perspective on contemporary transformations.
The initiative aligns closely with UNESCO’s core values, which recognize art as a powerful tool for dialogue, education, and the promotion of human rights. In this context, the exhibition highlights the role of culture in strengthening collective awareness and fostering a deeper understanding of today’s global challenges, reaffirming the link between artistic expression and social responsibility.
“The works on display, a true chorus of voices, powerfully reflect UNESCO’s priority on gender equality, which remains a fundamental pillar of our shared civilization,”
said Ambassador and Permanent Delegate Liborio Stellino, emphasizing that, in a global context marked by tension and fragility:
“Women continue to serve as drivers of resilience, stability, and peace.”
This message is fully in line with the Organization’s mission, established in the aftermath of the Second World War to promote culture, education, and dialogue as antidotes to barbarism.
The exhibition is hosted in UNESCO’s Hall Ségur and is open to the public from 24 to 31 March 2026 (Monday to Friday), from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free upon presentation of a valid ID.
