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Muse: Female Perspectives in the MAMM and MAC Panama Collections is an exhibition that brings together works from the collections of the Medellín Museum of Modern Art and the Panama Museum of Contemporary Art. It seeks to highlight the works of women artists who have historically been less prominent than their male counterparts. The exhibition title stems from Musa, a video work by artist Minia Biabiany (Guadalupe, 1988), which in turn takes its name from the scientific classification of the banana plant, musa paradisíaca. A common plant in the tropical latitudes of the Americas and Asia, the banana flower is used for medicinal purposes related to uterine ailments, and additionally, it is a fruit that has played a central role in extractive processes in the Americas.

The term «muse» is generally understood to refer to the female figure who provides inspiration to the (male) artist in a heteropatriarchal and, therefore, masculine worldview. However, when diving in Biabiany’s universe, it draws upon the symbolic and visual possibilities to represent the women in her family, their capacity for healing, and Guadalupe’s history of dispossession. Just as the fruit of the muse is used to treat the female reproductive organ, this exhibition aims to address the social symptoms that have historically prevented women from participating in spaces of creation, enunciation, and representation such as museum collections.

Muse: Female Perspectives in the MAMM and MAC Panama Collections addresses the role of women in recording history, the way women have been represented in art, and the attempts and successes in self-determination and self-representation. It also looks at how certain attitudes and methodologies associated with «the feminine» have shaped our understanding and production of art. The exhibition also aims to challenge traditional and outdated notions of gender, as well as to question and resist the dominance of binary logic, considering other gender-diverse identities. Imagining the feminine as an energy that encourages specific attitudes and actions aimed at fostering care, growth, dialogue, and collaboration, rather than focusing on a specific aesthetic or theme, will always be a reference point.

The exhibition brings together works by more than sixty artists from multiple countries and is displayed in three galleries. The works are grouped according to conceptual and formal affinities, enabling dialogues between artists from different periods and geographies. This gallery features works by artists who represent a diverse range of female universes and visions, exploring the multifaceted aspects of womanhood from varying perspectives. Gallery F presents works that explore the intersection of abstraction and formal experimentation, creating a space for spiritual inquiry where feminine subjectivity is expressed through the use of fantastical, dreamlike, and magical elements. Gallery G, on the other hand, showcases works that address the political memory and social critique of various historical times in our territories.

This joint survey of the collections of both institutions reveals the persisting gender disparity among the artists represented therein. Furthermore, the project enables an examination of the forms of institutional work, acquisition policies, and the significance of the staff responsible for the care of the collections. The exhibition will be presented initially at MAMM between July 2024 and May 2025, and subsequently at MAC between July and December 2025. It will be accompanied by a series of public programs, talks, meetings, commissions, and a publication.