Círculos Matriarcales Matriarchal Circles: octubre 2013

Dr. Heide Goettner-Abendroth

born in Thuringia, Germany, in 1941, is a mother and a grandmother. She earned her Ph.D. in philosophy of science at the University of Munich where she taught for ten years (1973-1983).

She has published extensively on philosophy of science, in addition to various books on matriarchal society and culture, and through her lifelong research on matriarchal societies has become a founder of Modern Matriarchal Studies.

In 1986, she founded the “International ACADEMY HAGIA for Matriarchal Studies and Matriarchal Spirituality” in Germany, and since then has been its director. She has also been visiting professor at the University of Montreal in Canada, and the University of Innsbruck in Austria. She lectured extensively at home and abroad.

In 2003, she organized and guided the “1st World Congress on Matriarchal Studies” in Luxembourg; in 2005, the “2nd World Congress on Matriarchal Studies” in San Marcos, Texas; and in 2011, a major conference on Matriarchal Politics in Switzerland.

In 2005, she was elected by the international initiative “1000 Peace Women Across the Globe” as a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2012, she received an award for her scholarship at the “Women and Mythology” conference in San Francisco.

www.goettner-abendroth.de

www.hagia.de

Magdalena Frey

Magdalena Frey was born in Graz

In 1985, she created her first photographic works.

Soon, her main theme emerged, which still continues to shape her work: the life of women and their environment. (mujer mexicana, Maria M)
In 1989, she moved, together with her family, to the northern Weinviertel region of Austria, which has also influenced her photo collages. (Landmeter, m-98, Family Altar)
In 1996 she began to develop her collages using computer technology, a practice which hasn’t changed to this day.
Her work also includes a number of portraits of people she considers important, such as Andrea Sodomka, Susanne Wenger, and Friedl Kubelka.
In the Roma, Sister and Brother, Bosnian, Maria M and drivers diary USA 06 cycles, Frey analyses travels in foreign culture spheres, and again retains her distinct focus on the image of women.
Several of Frey’s works indirectly take on the character of a diary, something that is even further emphasized in a small number of these works. (Mothers Cake, Abortion, Intervention)
Since 2008, she has mainly worked on short films, with her focus usually remaining on both general and specific aspects of the appearance of women (All OK, EMILIE, 3 Women – 3 Worlds, Elisabeth Fuchs, Conductress,

Juchitan, Women’s Networks, The Women of Nashira, etc.)

She has held lectures on her work in Finland, Poland, Vienna and Salzburg, among other places.
In 1988, she was awarded the Honorary Prize of the State of Lower Austria for Artistic Photography, and in 1999, she received the Promotion Award of the State of Styria.

Selected National and International Exhibitions:
Gallery of the City of Prague; Liget Gallery, Budapest;
Kunsthalle Krems, Austria; Hummel Gallery, Vienna;
Rupertinum, Salzburg, Ausria; Landesmuseum Niederösterreich, St. Pölten, Austria; Hofstätter Gallery, Vienna;Women’s Art Festival, Aleppo, Syria;

Kunst und Handel Gallery, Graz, Austria; Studio Morra, Neapel / Italy

Backlight05, Museum Centre Vaprikkii, Tampere / FIN
Ernst Muzeum Budapest; Museumszentrum Mistelbach, Austria;
the23project, Los Angeles, USA; Künstlerhaus, Vienna;
Budapest Gallery, Budapest, HU;

www.ma-frey.com

Bernedette Muthien

Is a scholar, a poet, and an activist. She co-founded and directs an NGO, Engender, which works in the intersectional areas of genders, human rights, justice and peace. Her community activism is integrally related to her work with continental and international organisations, and her research necessarily reflects the values of equity, societal transformation and justice.

She has published widely, written for diverse audiences, and believes in accessible research and writing. Over 20 years, on all six continents, she produced 170 publications and conference presentations, some of which have been translated from English into other languages, including Dutch, Flemish, French, German, and Italian.

Among others, she co-convenes the Global Political Economy Commission of the International Peace Research Association and serves on its International Executive Council; is a member of Amanitare, the African network of gender activists and serves on various international advisory boards, including the international journal Human Security Studies. She also serves on the Council of Iziko Museums of South Africa, as well as the board of the South African NGO Coalition in the Western Cape.

Muthien was the first Fullbright-Amy Biehl fellow at Stanford University (1994-1995), and holds postgraduate degrees in Political Science from the University of Cape Town (Dean’s Merit List), and Stellenbosch University (Andrew W Mellon Fellow, 2006-2007) in South Africa.

Her current research centres on the Egalitarian KhoeSan – Beyond Violence, in other words, how social and gender egalitarianism are coterminous with nonviolence, as well as showing that nonviolent and egalitarian societies have existed throughout time and continue to exist at present. She is also presently leading a pan-African research project on Ubuntu and the Gift Paradigm in Africa.

During 2012 she published her first solo poetry anthology, “ova”, with critical acclaim around the world.

http://www.engender.org.za/poetry.html