On February 11th, 2025, PAF and Design Museum Brussels join forces to organize the conversation ‘Rebalancing gender bias in the design world’, accompanying the exhibition Untold Stories- Women designers in Belgium 1880-1980. Together with the speakers and the audience, we discuss themes represented in the exhibition ranging from professionalisation versus domesticity, (un)visibility, authorship, and collaboration. We invite everyone to join the conversation and share experiences and ideas to build a more equitable and inclusive (interior) design sector.
Due to the patriarchal forces that historically shaped design, the work of women designers is often absent or invisible in collections, archives and academic literature. How do gender bias and inequality still work today? How have patriarchal mechanisms shaped the (interior) design sector, from gender-coded education to ideas on professionalisation and authorship? What is the experience of women designers in Belgium today? What do they still come up against and what tactics or strategies do they use to flourish in their design practice? And are there any tactics we can learn from the women designers who came before us? In this conversation, we reflect on these questions with Nina Serulus (co-curator of the exhibition Untold Stories - Women Designers in Belgium 1880-1980), Benoît Vandevoort (PhD researcher on the professionalisation of interior design), Mathilde Pecqueur (textile designer, Maak&Transmettre) and Stefanie Everaert and Caroline Lateur (Doorzon interior architects).
Collaboration PAF x Design Museum Brussels
Initiated by the Atomium’s acquisition of a private collection, the Design Museum Brussels is a museum dedicated to design and its history. Favoring a historical approach and echoing current and future research, the museum aims to make design accessible and understandable to all audiences. A place for encounters, discoveries and sharing, the Design Museum Brussels promotes the multidimensionality of design through its collections, exhibitions, and mediation activities.
PAF (platform voor architectuur & feminisme) is a community where women, and anyone who feels involved, share knowledge and experiences about the architecture sector in Flanders and beyond. We discuss how the work culture and established norms in the sector contribute to the lack of perspectives, as well as how we can shape the practice of architecture from alternative, feminist values.
Tickets: 5€ student / 10€ regular / 15€ support ticket.
Better fit your financial situation? Then choose a free ticket.
We provide an enjoyable evening with nice conversations, make space for everyone's contribution, and take care of everyone's privacy. You always decide what you want to contribute, in conversation or in writing. You don't need any prior knowledge, you are very welcome!
