Artists’ studios have emerged throughout time as spaces that are not only real but also imaginary (e.g., today the virtual space of a computer). With the change of artistic idioms and practices, studios have evolved from spaces in which one can think and create in solitude to dynamic environments for (collective) production, social interaction, and the presentation of works along with their storage, possibly in a well-organized archive. Furthermore, studios have been associated with an inspiration and an independence that, when it comes to output, give rise to an oscillation between vast expectations and often-uncertain outcomes.

This event is particularly concerned with the gendered coding of the studio. Is the studio still a gendered place and, if yes, what kind of frame does it provide for female artists today? Do they — who have often been denied creative agency and representative spaces — have special claims, needs, and practices with regard to the studio space? Does the studio still offer temporary shelter, privacy, and an opportunity to escape the care work of home?

A second aspect is devoted to the future of the studio in the 21st century. This aspect focuses on the studio’s separation from public space as well as its limits in terms of flexibility and mobility. In what ways have the notion of the studio and the conditions of artistic practice been transformed? What elements of the studio live on if there is no longer a room to live in and to share? What are the social, political, and aesthetic implications of these developments for today’s (post-)studio experience?