L’IPHES-CERCA hosts the exhibition (In)visibles i (O)cultes, a tribute to silenced women scientists
The exhibition, produced by the Natural Science Museum of Barcelona, can be visited at the IPHES-CERCA headquarters thanks to the collaboration of Menarini and ICIQ
On October 20, IPHES-CERCA inaugurated the exhibition (In)visibles i (O)cultes), an original production by the Natural Science Museum of Barcelona that highlights 24 women scientists from different eras and disciplines who, due to gender bias, were silenced or erased from the history of science.
The exhibition arrives at the IPHES-CERCA institutional headquarters thanks to the collaboration of the pharmaceutical company Menarini, which produced the traveling version in roll-up format, and to the mediation of the Catalan Institute of Chemical Research (ICIQ), which facilitated the exhibition’s loan to the center.
Curated by Mireia Alcaine, who led a guided tour during the opening event, (In)visibles i (O)cultes) offers a journey through space and time —from Ancient Egypt to 21st-century Britain— to rediscover the lives and legacies of women who, despite being pioneers in their fields, did not receive the recognition they deserved.
Among the featured figures are Peseshet, considered the first female physician in history (Egypt, 2400 BCE); Aglaonice, a Greek astronomer who studied eclipses (Greece, 200 BCE); Blanca Catalana de Ocón (Spain, 1860–1904), a pioneer in botany; and Rosalind Franklin, the scientist who helped unravel the structure of DNA.
Together, they represent a female genealogy that, despite obstacles and glass ceilings, has played a decisive role in the construction of scientific knowledge.
The exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the role of women in science and on the need to review history through a gender perspective.
“(In)visibles i (O)cultes) is an invitation to rediscover and recognize the women who made science as we know it today possible, and to give voice to those who still remain hidden,” emphasizes curator Mireia Alcaine.
With this initiative, IPHES-CERCA reaffirms its commitment to promoting female talent and gender equality in research, while continuing to foster the dissemination of scientific knowledge as a tool for social transformation. This action has been carried out within the framework of the centre’s equality policies and has been coordinated by the IPHES-CERCA Equality Committee.