International Women Day Installation & Performance

Location: in front of İzmit Municipality Building

Created by Orhan Özçalık

Performance artist: Sibel Talas

In many countries of the world, particularly in the Middle Eastern ones, women face violence in the name of ‘honour’ and thousands of them are murdered by men. Official records in Turkey suggest that 200 women were murdered in 2020. Unoffical and unregistered murders are estimated to be much more.

This Project, which aims to raise awareness on this issue, employs shoes as representation of women. 200 pairs of shoes symbolising victims will be exhibited in open space. Only first names of the victims will be demonstrated. These shoes were collected by sensitive women after an open call on social media.

Why shoes?

Shoes, regardless of their preference, demonstrate the wearer’s identity. They make a mark. And these marks include ‘fragments’ of her identity. They even give clues about her mood (fear, joy, grief…). Shoes, particularly women shoes do talk. The sound of walking shoes in fact tell a person’s life story. They express emotions transiently. Therefore, this project will employ sounds of shoes and more sound effects in order to tell victims’ life stories. The exhibition took place on a public space, in front of the Izmit Municipality building.