On November 25, 1960—the date of the assassination of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists from the Dominican Republic, murdered on the orders of Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo—an important global observance was born: the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, officially recognized by a UN resolution in 1999. It is a significant date, commemorated annually by many women and men alike, not only as a reminder of the ultimate act of violence—murder—but also of many other, more insidious forms of violence, ranging from all types of physical abuse to psychological oppression and discrimination, which continue to be inflicted on women worldwide every day.
Violence against women is a violation of their rights to life, safety, happiness, and freedom. It exploits a woman’s vulnerability, whether due to physical incapacity or economic dependence on men. For women of certain ethnic groups, it remains a bitter reminder of the renunciation of an egalitarian world based on freedom, independence, and equality. Yet, changing mindsets is not easy; resolutions, laws, and commemorations are not enough. Vigilance is required. We must remain alert, keeping our eyes open to a growing affliction that, once considered external to Western societies, has now spread within them, affecting victims across all social classes and age groups. Young girls, teenagers, women, and even elderly women are increasingly falling victim to horrific and brutal acts of violence.
Numerous international awareness campaigns emphasize the importance of not remaining indifferent to this issue: from the slogan “Do not close your eyes to violence”—the first national UNDP campaign against violence in Bosnian society—to the “fake black eyes” created with makeup and shared on Facebook by Turkey’s Huni Project to stop violence against women, to countless other initiatives worldwide that use the symbol of eyes as a metaphor for the need to remain vigilant and to look toward the future with hope for change.
For this exhibition, Andrea Benetti has chosen to employ the same symbol—the eyes—to approach a theme unusual for his artistic journey. His typically sparse and synthetic painting is replaced by realistically documentary photographs that, without any digital manipulation, provide us with an intimate glimpse into female expressions and situations across all ages. They offer a panorama of gazes turned—or rather, directed—toward the reality of being a woman today. These invasive and perhaps even unsettling enlargements capture the many ways in which women look at the world, engaging with others with coherence, pride, and sometimes a subtle hint of defiance against an ever-pressing issue that must be addressed.
The blow-ups of these anonymous yet undeniably present women, fully aware of their identity and power, serve as silent warnings—urging viewers to keep their eyes open so that we may dismantle the abhorrent and terrifying trend of violence against women.