"She’s gone" - Exhibition on Violence Against Women

May violence end in all its forms, including the murder of women.

Violence Against Women is the fifth exhibition to take place at the Oasis Art Gallery.

It was born out of discussions with WAS-NS Communications and Development Director and women’s rights activist Samah Salaime and with help from Voltaire Shamshoum and various people in the village – and of course the artists.

These include Keren Goldstein Yehezkeli and Ornit Zadok, who came with dresses… Keren is the creator and director of “She is gone” project (see below): “Clothes that tell the horror when the clothing represents what the victim was.” The clothes with the names hung from the ceiling before the artworks. The exhibition’s other artworks deal with the phenomenon of violence or victimization in its various forms.

The artist Salwa Alnmer, from Tamra in the Galilee, was an enormous help both in organizing the exhibition and sharing art works for it. She did so out of great determination and personal conviction. While presenting her paintings she spoke from her personal process and example. For more about Salwa, see below. [1]

The artist Maha Knaaneh Saadi was another wonderful source of support and artworks. Dyana: “ I found great satisfaction for the unique Maha’s artwork, especially as it was attended by a poetry that shook my feelings.”

The Story of a Woman, by Maha:

Woman is a rose and its scent, joy for the eye, the heart and the soul.
Woman is a heart filled with love. Without her, there would be no life, no creativity
Woman is a star that illuminates the darkness of life.
Woman is red, love, giving and blood the heart pumps through our veins.
creating together a story of hope born out of pain.
This is "The Story of a Woman

Laila Sara Mazer painted the girl Selvana Tsegai, who was killed at the age of 13. Laila, who was very interested in the subject, got one of the pictures of the girl published among the social media. The artwork is very expressive but also transparently provocative.
Shade Twafra is the only young man participant in this exhibition intentionally and deliberately. The young artist Shadi has a certain physical disability which hinders normal communication with others. His disability causes him to struggle much harder than other people to communicate. He is very sensitive person who rejects violence and any kind of control by force. Shadi: "It is true that I am a man, but I am with women and by every person or oppressed people. equality and equality for all." Artist Bila Berg has participated in the exhibition too. She has introduced a political element and dimension to the exhibition and I am really appreciating that, as she wrote:

“Landscape artworks, usually reflects to me beauty, nature, spreads and pastoral.
The painting “Local view” was created out of the conflict between the local and the violence inherent in it.

The power directed at the other leads to the creation of a forceful society. Violence absorbed in, affects people’s self and infuses all areas of life.”

The importance of the subject and the desire of more artists to participate, a second exhibition will take part on the end of this year. We have an obligation to two more exhibitions in between with different contentions, or let’s say that all are decanted into the same pattern.

Please contact us for a visit, welling to take part, for moral or material support.

*She’s Gone

A green T shirt, a jeans dress, a short fake-fur coat, a long embroidered dress, a pair of jeans, a red shirt, a lucky sweatshirt that was worn before every test, a special top and jacket, bought especially for a wedding.

A random series of garments, muted witnesses to lives, which were abruptly and violently taken, containing within their folds tales of absence and orphanhood.
Every garment carries a small note with a name on it. Next to the name are details of the murder weapon and the murderer’s verdict. Final reminders to what were once the full, active lives of Dafna and Anat, Fatma and Limor, Malkam and Duaa, Ganit, Ala, Salmelak, Shlomit and Iris.

Just a few of so many, representing the silent voices of women and young girls who had dreams, hopes, and a strong desire to live.

She’s Gone is a global Performance Art display which protests against the spreading phenomena of gender based murder, and speaks on behalf of innocent victims of violence performed by spouses or other family members.

Since 2011, more than 125 women and young girls were murdered in Israel alone, all by jealous husbands, boyfriends or relatives. Some of these murder cases were never solved.

The garments on display are the original clothes of murdered women from all sectors, religions and nationalities who share a horrible fate. The original soundtrack created for the display includes lullabies in 15 languages (Hebrew, Arabic, Amharic, Russian, Spanish, French, Persian, Romanian, Moroccan and more), a gesture of kindness to the women and girls whose voices will never be heard again.
Violence against women is not inevitable, and it is essential that we do everything in our power to prevent it. Rooted in patriarchal societies who refused to acknowledge that women are equal and unique beings, these horrifying acts of gender-based murders brutally violate human rights.

By boldly showing the clothes of murder victims, we strive to raise global public awareness and encourage dialogue around this painful phenomenon. We wish to loudly ring the alarm, raise a flag and engage people everywhere to act and bring about the change.

The performance art display will begin its journey in Israel and travel to additional cities around the globe, where we will invite relatives of murdered women to add their clothes to the display.

Our goal is to end the journey on November 25th at the United Nations building, marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
She’s Gone is a private initiative and is privately funded. There are no political agendas behind our initiative other than the sincere concern for the safety and well-being of women and girls, everywhere, and the burning desire to drive a significant change in our societies.