SOLANGE aus Liebe mit einem Schlag Gewalt wird, bin ich Feminist:in.
AS LONG AS love turns into violence in one blow, I will be a feminist.
The 300 m2 artwork is displayed on the Danube-facing façade of the building and is fully visible from the Nibelungen Bridge.
Once again, the content of the SOLANGE sentence was developed on site in a participatory process. To invite the public, the University of Arts Linz and the Women’s Office of the City of Linz issued an open call for submissions for SOLANGE sentences. The call garnered wide response, with around 200 entries. It quickly became clear that the topic “violence against women” was a central theme.
Violence takes place on many levels, from structural to personal. This net specifically addresses the dynamics of intimate partner violence. As this form of abuse mostly occurs out of sight in private spaces, there is great need for a broad spectrum of structural measures to effectively counter the growing number of cases.
“I believe violence against girls and women must be countered from two specific angles: We need both private and socio-political change. Silence and silencing that ends in physical violence is a learned behaviour just like any other value or attitude passed from one generation to the next. We desperately need positive (male) role models, educators and parents who teach boys how to respectfully process emotions and conflict instead of clinging to destructive patterns of power and control.
This SOLANGE sentence sends a highly visible signal and promotes important discourses. Our feminist intervention at this building, which carries such a heavy and dark history, emphasizes that gender justice is the key to preventing violence. This must be the focus of all our efforts.”
AS LONG AS…
…we don’t find lasting strategies against dated gender roles and patriarchal structures keeping girls and women in dependency,…
…social media promotes toxic masculinities,…
…women’s equality is not the primary goal on all levels,…
… I WILL BE A FEMINIST.
Come join us in spreading equality!
Cooperation partners:
University of Arts Linz, Women’s Office of the City of Linz
Photocredits: Katharina Cibulka
