Sanja Ivekovic Artist Protests Against Violence to Women

Sanja Ivekovic is a feminist artist whose exhibition in New York Museum of Art has been reported in legal circles recently because of the connection to the protest by Amnesty International against non-ratification of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Roger Alford wrote in Opinio Juris:

"I had the good fortune yesterday to spend the afternoon at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. To my great surprise, I experienced my first encounter with treaties as art. A special exhibit on display through March 26, 2012 of the work of Sanja Iveković entitled Sweet Violence focuses on the plight of women in post-Communist political systems of Eastern Europe. As a feminist artist, most of Iveković’s work challenges the status quo, and that includes countries that refuse to adopt the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Among the installations was an arresting display of bright red leaflets thrown on the ground throughout the museum reprinting Amnesty International’s campaign to promote U.S. ratification of CEDAW."

Click on the photograph above to be taken to the website and video called "cutting". It represents the arrival of political awareness. The film extracts are from communist, former Yougoslavia and shows discrepancy in the life styles of the communist elite and workers. The clips from the "west" ie US reflect what prompted people to see communism and capitalism in a different light. If capitalism was so bad why do they have all those nice things and fun music? Of course, film clips of the downside of capitalism were not what people saw as their mask was cut away. At the end the view of the video just sees another human face with head still covered in the remnants of the mask. It is a very good video.

The floor of the museum had red leaflets like drops of blood spread over it. The leaflets are from Amnesty International printed on red paper by artist.

Sanja Ivekovic built a sculpture in honor of a revolutionary, Rosa Luxembourg that would horrify medical regulators, for example, because of the expressions used in text below it, on the plaque itself. It is a reality that women who strive to achieve power or act within their authority do get called "Bitch". The statue is also pregnant, I guess symbolic representation of discrimination against women who do get pregnant but also work sometimes losing their life in the political struggle like Rosa Luxembourg did.

Ms Roxane Marcoco wrote an article about the monument and its history click HERE.