Petra Bauer

Petra Bauer, born in 1970, is a Swedish artist and filmmaker who serves as Research Leader at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm. Her work explores intersections of political and social organizing, particularly involving women, often through collaborations with organizations. Grounded in feminist theory, her art addresses issues such as immigration, colonialism, and women's collective efforts within and beyond the art world.

Bauer’s research has examined radical filmmaking groups like The Berwick Street Film Collective and Cinema Action. She collaborated with Southall Black Sisters on a project highlighting their activism against violence and discrimination. Her 2016 film *Workers!*, made with SCOT-PEP, documents sex workers’ labor concerns as they engage with the Scottish Trade Union Congress. Earlier, her 2003 film *Der Fall Joseph* reflected on the death of an immigrant child in Germany, exploring themes of discrimination and injustice.

In 2008, Bauer and artist Annette Krauss created *Read the Masks, Tradition Is Not Given*, a critique of the Dutch Zwarte Piet tradition, though their planned program was canceled due to death threats. Bauer’s work has been featured in prominent exhibitions, including the 2015 Venice Biennale, the 8th Göteborg International Biennial for Contemporary Art, and the 2018 Riga International Biennial of Contemporary Art.

Collaboration is central to Bauer’s practice, with partners such as Southall Black Sisters, Scot-Pep, and The Women's Centre in Tensta-Hjulsta. She co-founded the Feminist Research Group with curators and theorists to study collective care practices. Her work consistently engages with social justice and feminist inquiry through interdisciplinary approaches.