May Neama with her work for the provincial prize for graphic arts 1965 Collection City of Antwerp Letterenhuis

A look back at

Wiki Women Design

In October 2020, the Flanders Architecture Institute launched Wiki Women Design with the aim of shedding light on women who have left their mark on the designed environment in Belgium, from (interior) architecture and graphic design to fashion and product design. Although many women have contributed to our designed environment, many have remained under the radar of heritage institutions, researchers and collectors. As a result, they did not end up in the history books and remained unknown to the general public.

Wiki Women Design sought to make women's contributions accessible on Wikipedia through Wikipedia edit-a-thons or writing sessions, in order to make up for this deficit.

Below you'll find a look back at the project.

More on Wiki Women Design

Oana Bogdan Beeld RV

"It is a matter of time, but eventually people will realise how rich the work of all those women is."

– Oana Bogdan (BOGDAN & VAN BROECK), ambassador of Wiki Women Design on architectura.be

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A look back at the

Edit-a-thons

Since the start of Wiki Women Design, 12 writing sessions have taken place. Despite the challenges posed by the corona pandemic, the creativity and flexibility of our project partners made it possible for the writing sessions to take place successfully.

The participants included an impressive group of volunteers, students, designers, researchers and project partners. In total, 250 participants edited, translated and/or corrected about 220 Wikipedia articles. We are very proud of this collective result!

Discover the results

A look back at the writing sessions

WIKI DRIESLUYTEN 84

"Wiki Women Design is an absolutely necessary catch-up."

– Prof Hilde Heynen (KU Leuven) in the architectura.be podcast "Are women underrepresented in architecture?" (Dutch)

WIKI DRIESLUYTEN 43

A look back at the

International conference: Women, Design & Heritage

On 23 September, the international conference Women, Design & Heritage took place at the Art & History Museum in Brussels.

International researchers, experts and designers engaged the participants in a reflection on women, design heritage and historiography. In conversation with each other and the audience, the speakers exchanged ideas about the future steps needed to advance research on women and design and to make a concerted effort to bridge the gender gap in the heritage field.

A look back at the conference

MADNESS Vai kopie

A look back at the

Evening debate: Women in Architecture Today

As an evening programme to the Wiki Women Design symposium, an evening debate took place at MAD, Home of Creators in Brussels. An Fonteyne (noAarchitects), Kelly Hendriks (B-ILD), Hilde Heynen (KU Leuven), Anne Malliet (Vlaams Bouwmeester), Sarah Poot (poot architectuur) and Caroline Voet (Voet architectuur) discussed the role of women in contemporary architectural practice. With Fredie Floré (KU Leuven) as moderator, they debated about finding one's place as a woman in the profession and the challenges this brings, feminism in architecture, role models and key figures, entrepreneurship and creativity.

"What is a woman in architecture, how far does that go? On the Women in Architecture Belgium Instagram, it is interesting to see that this is very broad."

– Sylvie Bruyninckx (VIVA Architecture) in the architectura.be podcast "Are women underrepresented in architecture?"

Logo Wi A

Women in Architecture Belgium

Instagram account

In collaboration with CIVA, NAV, ICA WB and KRAS Architects, the Flanders Architecture Institute launched the Instagram page @womeninarchitecturebelgium. Since International Women's Day (8 March 2021), every week a woman who is active in the Belgian architectural sector gives an insight into her working and living environment.

The Instagram account

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Wikipedia project page

In the course of the project, the Wiki Women Design project page on Wikipedia took shape. Here, you can find the results of the project, a bibliography on women in architecture and design, an overview of archives of women designers, similar initiatives, tips & tricks for writing a Wikipedia article, topics you can write about and tips on how to start your own Wikimedia project.

Have a look at the project page

5 ambassadrices

Thank you to the

Wiki Women Design ambassadors

Wiki Women Design received the support of five women who are making their mark on the designed environment in Belgium today. Oana Bogdan (BOGDAN & VAN BROECK), Sara De Bondt, Stefanie Everaert & Caroline Lateur (Doorzon) and Linde Freya Tangelder (destroyers/builders) helped raise awareness of the project.

Read their statements

Martha van Coppenolle in haar atelier op het einde van haar studie ca 1930 Collectie Stad Antwerpen Letterenhuis

Press

coverage

One of the aims of Wiki Women Design was to raise general awareness of the impact of women in the architecture and design landscape. Various media channels contributed to sensitising a wider audience to the issues that motivated the project.

Press overview

Thank you to our project partners

The institutions and organisations that participated in Wiki Women Design were invaluable in realising the project.

A big thank you to our 27 project partners:

AR-TUR, Art & History Museum, AVG-Carhif, Berg en Nete, Design Museum Brussels, Design Museum Gent, Docomomo, Eperon d'Or, Erfgoed Noorderkempen, Erfgoedcel k.Erf, Flanders DC, Ghent University, Hasselt University, KASK, Kempens Karakter, KU Leuven, Matrimony Days, meemoo, Modemuseum Hasselt, MoMu Antwerpen, Open Knowledge Belgium, PXL-MAD, Regionaal Landschap Kleine en Grote Nete, RoSa vzw, ULB, Faculté d'Architecture La Cambre Horta, University of Antwerp, Wikimedia Belgium, Z33

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Jan Van Rijswijcklaan 155
2018 Antwerp, Belgium
info@vai.be
T +32 (0)3 242 89 70

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