For a new commission by Swiss artist Nicolas Party (b. 1980, Lausanne, lives and works in Brussels and New York), the Piper Gallery is taken over by a theatrical cast of female heads representing and acknowledging the achievements of pioneering women in the city of Oxford.

The work is in response to what the artist considers to be the heavily masculine energy of Oxford’s architecture and academic histories.

Considering his exhibition as a public forum, the artist celebrates working collaboratively and embraces the collective spirit of the theatre.

Throughout the exhibition there is a series of public events taking place within the gallery, starting with a performance of Ethel Smyth’s String Quartet in E Minor by the Stanford Quartet during the Preview Party on 24 November. These events recognise and celebrate the wide-ranging history of women’s contributions to academic life and social and research communities.