It’s difficult to conceive of any woman not having experienced some form injustice simply for being a woman. Which means Yoko Ono probably won’t be short of material for a new art project, Arising, that she plans to unveil in Reykjavik in October. According to a call for submissions that the artist and activist posted on her Facebook page, the new show will feature stories from women all over the world who have suffered gender-based injustice. “WOMEN OF ALL AGES, FROM ALL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: YOU ARE INVITED TO SEND A TESTAMENT OF HARM DONE TO YOU FOR BEING A WOMAN,” she wrote. Ever wanted to collaborate with the experimental (and often controversial) mastermind of 1964’s Cut Piece and Grapefruit? Write your testament in your own language and send it to the Reykjavik Art Museum along with a photo of your eyes.
Yoko Ono is encouraging women to be as open as they wish when telling their stories. She also wants submissions to be at least semi-anonymous. “YOU MAY SIGN YOUR FIRST NAME IF YOU WISH, BUT DO NOT GIVE YOUR FULL NAME,” she writes. This isn’t the first time she has explored the victimization of women through her work — the aforementioned Cut Piece being the most famous example. Ahead of her MoMA exhibit One Woman Show last year, the OG feminist gave i-D some insight into her enduring ethos. “I love all women,” she said. “And it’s a very strange thing to say. Because it sounds like a very tactful political statement. No! The reason that I’m starting to love each woman is that women suffer so much. Each one. And they’re still alive. And I marvel at the fact that they’re still going on. Each one is so brave.”
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Text Hannah Ongley
Image via Creative Commons