Art exhibition – VIO and the Stories of Free Mothers
The campaign “I Can Do It Too” launched by A.L.E.G. to support women facing domestic violence enjoys the support and involvement of local artists and entrepreneurs. In the timeframe 2-10 December 2017, the Council Tower hosted the exhibition “VIO – the Stories of Single Free Mothers”, by artist Cynthia Loris in partnership with A.L.E.G. The artist chose a venue that difficult to reach (the top floor of the the Council Tower) on purpose, to convey through the giddiness and the weight of each step made on the steep stairs, the way abused women feel on their road to safety. This is the first time that the experiences of several survivors are turned into works of art. To observe confidentiality, the exhibition does not reveal any information that could lead to the identification of the people involved.
One piece suggestively called ‘How Many KM2 of Bruises Has the Ruler at the M.E.’s Office Measured?” was inspired by the dimensions of bruises, as documented in a forensic certificate of a survivor. According to the Sibiu Forensic Medicine Office in Sibiu in 2017, 117 women victims of domestic violence have requested a forensic certificate. The exhibition includes works inspiring people to believe that together we can overcome domestic violence.
Instead of an opening night, the audience was invited to a closing event, to show that the repetitive situation of violence can come to an end. The closing event took place on Friday, December 8th, starting 4 p.m., on the top floor of the Council Tower.
Works of art and description VIO_exhibition
Courage is characteristic of women who manage to start over by themselves, just as it is a defining feature of entrepreneurs. We are happy to have found not only artists, but also enterprisers sensitive to the topic of family violence. The natural cosmetics compan
y Luthelo has marked our campaign through a special end-of-year batch of soaps, called Optimism and Trust, for faithful customers. Thus, 120 customers have received these gifts, alongside the message “I Can Do It Too” and information materials to help identify the various forms of violence. They are meant to help a friend clarify whether they are in a violent situation and inform them of where to go for help. The company Medical Corp supports the A.L.E.G. campaign by fitting their offices with a donation box, raising funds for women facing family violence. The campaign started in November with the Horizontal Newspaper activity “Success Stories That Do Not Make The Headlines”, organized thanks to the artist Dan Perjovschi, and with the “Vigil Night for Silent Witnesses” organized by the A.L.E.G. team in the Sibiu city centre.
Audio report (in Romanian) by Radio România Cultural:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t45NkhdITA
