To kick off the second edition of #somethingiswrong, artists, curators and participating organisations met in Innsbruck for an exchange on the topic of violence against women in general and specifically. The artists presented their working methods, the organisations presented their focal points and together they discussed how art in public space can find answers and ask questions about this topic.

Read more about the different focus areas of work in the field of violence against women in the presentations of the associations Frauen gegen VerGEWALTigung (Women against Violence) and Frauenzentrum Osttirol (East Tyrol Women’s Centre) as well as the text “Eine Schwelle gibt es immer! – Notes on low-threshold violence prevention” by Edwin Wiedenhofer (Mannsbilder Tirol).

Ein halbnackter Körper einer Frau auf einer Motorhaube, objektiviert, hingelegt, verfügbar, ausgerichtet für den Blick des potenziellen Käufers. Dasselbe und reihenweise auch auf Motorradsatteln, Couchgarnituren, Segelbooten u.a. – die halbnackte Frau zur Garnitur. Was denkt der Fotograph? Was denkt der Graphiker? Was denkt der Autohändler? Ist es vielleicht so, dass niemand denkt, weil es so normal scheint? Das Narrativ ist so eingeschliffen wie alte Bremsscheiben. Was sehen wir überhaupt? Über jeder Hobelbank einer Tischlerei hängt das Plakat einer Nackten. In jedem Spint eines Mechanikers genauso. Was wird gesehen? Und wie bestimmt, was gesehen wird, das Handeln?
Ich sag dem Mechaniker, dass mein Auto einen Rechtsdrall hat, seit er neue Bremsbeläge montiert hat. Er glaubt mir nicht, lächelt mich galant weg. Will einsteigen, winkt mich mit einer Geste vom Fahrer- auf den Beifahrersitz. Meint er das ernst? Ich sag ihm: er kann neben mir Platz nehmen. Er weigert sich. Weigert sich hartnäckig. Er kann gerne einsteigen, ich fahre.
Plötzlich – aus einem Moment der Unsicherheit blitzt Aggression aus seinen Augen.
Mit dieser Alltagsgeste des Wegschiebens haben Frauen ständig zu tun: in der Bankfiliale, im Handwerkerladen: „Geh mal weg“ – und mitunter die abrupte Verunsicherung, wenn sie sich weigern. Der Blick in ihre Augen, in männliche „Retteraugen“ und schon kann es passieren, dass es zu sofortigen Demontage kommt. Wie schnell geht männliche Verunsicherung! Wie schnell schlägt sie um! Wie schnell schlägt sie zu!

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“Abbiamo un piano” (We have a plan) is the title of the feminist manifesto of the Non Una Di Meno movement from Italy – a feminist plan against male violence against women* and against gender-based violence. This manifesto not only describes the status quo of patriarchal and capitalist relations, but also combines this analysis with concrete demands.

What does it mean to treat all people in a society equally and fairly?

This list contains reading tips from the Reading Garden Lungomare, which is continuously expanded by project partners and friends. Books that deal with the degradation and discrimination of women* from an intersectional perspective. In addition, some books deal with the colonial heritage of Europe, especially Italy – topics that are closely interwoven for us.

The book “Männliche Lebenswelten” by Armin Bernhard and Lothar Böhnisch presents the results of various studies that give a detailed insight into the current lifeworld of men, especially in the province of South Tyrol, and places them in an international, comparative framework. In doing so, both the detailed data of a representative men’s study were further processed and interpreted, as well as the qualitative surveys that were conducted beforehand. Also included are individual qualitative studies on the male domains of cars, pornography, martial arts and shooting, as well as contributions on men’s counselling and boys’ work.

In this article, Zeit author Ulrike Lembke summarises current dynamics on the topic of gender-specific violence and homicides against women in Germany. She emphasises that lethal violence against women is not a fate, that the prevention of these homicides is a social, political and state task and that it is the task of the judiciary to recognise and name patriarchal injustice in all its manifestations.

Against the backdrop of the pandemic, the feminist women’s rights and aid organisation medica mondiale calls on politicians to actively stand up for women’s rights and to address the issue of sexualised violence beyond the election campaign in this political demand paper for the 2021 federal elections (short version).