How much longer do we have to stand up for gender equality?
SOLANGE / AS LONG AS is a communicative art project that promotes dialogue. It aims to create awareness of gender inequalities people experience in our society. Our means of communication is a 200 to 400 m2 artwork – hand-embroidered scaffolding nets on construction sites.
To date, we have installed 27 nets. Further international expansion of the project is underway. Every AS LONG AS net features a sentence starting with “As long as...“ and ending with “...I will be a feminist“. Cross-stitched in large pink tulle letters onto a construction site scaffolding net it is mounted on construction sites for the public to experience.
The nets create a field of tension between the traditionally gendered connotations of craftwork as female and construction sites as male.
The slogans address subjects that evolve from extensive discussions on pressing feminist issues. The main focus is to call out and question prevalent social power structures.
Aims and vision
AS LONG AS promotes an inclusive, diverse, open-minded and modern society, where all people have the same rights and live in equality. We do not believe that feminism is a 'women’s issue', but rather consider it a subject that affects all of society and concerns every person, no matter what gender. Ultimately, we all profit from gender equity and the deconstruction of rigid and outdated gender norms.
„I think it is time to remind you: "The vision of feminism is not a female society. The vision of feminism is a human(e) society."
(former/first Austrian Minister for Women Johanna Dohnal)
Production
For centuries women were expected to stay at home. Some were kept busy and quiet with crafts like embroidering tiny images and monograms. Today we stitch with cable ties and pink tulle, creating huge artworks on public display that simply can't be overlooked. Our intention is clear: We are right here! And we FINALLY want full equality!
AS LONG AS nets are custom-made to fit individual construction sites. They are crafted with high quality standards and present memorable slogans, which are developed in cooperation with our partners.
AS LONG AS is an individual brand with high recognition value. Its tactile qualities (stitching vs print) clearly distinguish it from generic billboards.
AS LONG AS is resource-friendly as it uses a base material that is commonly in use to protect construction sites.
Construction sites
AS LONG AS has high standards and is only found in top locations. Our scaffolding nets are huge and cannot be missed. Our audience is the greater public in all its diversity – everyone is invited to join the discussion.
Language – Our Tool
- We are fully aware of the power of words and pride ourselves in never sounding accusatory.
- We emphasize empathy, wit and poignant language.
- The change we strive for is for everybody.
- We create awareness and promote active conversations around gender.
- We counter the often negatively connotated term of feminism and positively recharge it with empathy and humor.
- We bring abstract concepts like gender equality and diversity closer to people by using clear language and positive attitudes.
Our network is continuously growing and we are always looking for new construction sites and collaborations all over the world.
ASLONGAS – a project by Katharina Cibulka
Shortfilm by Karin Berghammer