Istanbul - Turkish artist Vahit Tuna has
mounted 440 pairs of high heels on the facade of a building on a
busy Istanbul street, to symbolise the number of women murdered
in domestic or sexual violence in Turkey in 2018.
"We are standing in a street now and maybe people are faced
with a work of art for the first time, an open and bleeding
wound for the very first time. I believe this has an impact,"
said Tuna.
"I think this (installation) creates awareness and is
something that influences people and makes them think," he
added.
In Turkey, there is a tradition of placing the shoes of
someone who passed away outside an entrance. The artwork covers
an area of 260 square metres.
A woman takes pictures of an art installation by Turkish artist Vahit Tuna with 440 pairs of high heels, the number of women murdered by men in Turkey in 2018. Picture: Mesude Bulbul/Reuters
"Frankly, I do not feel safe on the streets and this view is
really awful. There are 440 pairs of shoes here and it means
that many lives have been lost in 2018. This is very upsetting,"
said Turkish banker Serap Kilic.
Another banker, Hilal Koseoglu, said: "As long as
everybody remains silent, violence against women will increase
and this violence is not just about murdering women but also
suppressing and silencing them."
Around 440 women were killed in 2018 in Turkey, according to
a report published by Kadin Cinayetlerini Durduracagiz Platformu
(We Will Stop Femicide Platform) which keeps records on murders.
The platform reported that 49 women were killed by men in the
month of August 2019 alone.