Kamala Harris, Kate Middleton, Ursula Von Der Leyen As Victim Of Gender Violence In Street-art Awareness Campaign

"She reported him"

But nobody believed her - But she was left alone - But she was not protected - But he was not arrested - But she was killed anyway.

Violence against women is a violation of human rights that remains largely unpunished. Only a few perpetrators of violence face a trial and even fewer are convicted.

On the occasion of November 25th, the artist and activist aleXsandro Palombo returns with a new series of works entitled "She reported him, but she was killed anyway" a campaign of denunciation against a system that does not support women victim of gender violence visible on the walls of Milan and also in Spain on the streets of Los Alcazáres in the Murcia region, financed with aid from Ministerio de Igualdad, Secretaría de Estado de Igualdad y contra la Violence de Género.

Ursula von der Leyen, Kate Middleton, Kamala Harris, Christine Lagarde, Letizia Ortiz Queen of Spain, Anne Hidalgo and Marin Le Pen portrayed as victims of domestic violence. Under the images of the swollen faces, the statements: «She reported him - But nobody believed her - But she she was left alone - But she was not protected - But he was not arrested - But she was killed anyway". Violence against women is a violation of human rights that remains largely unpunished. Only a few perpetrators of violence face a trial and even fewer are convicted.

Through this street art awareness campaign, aleXsandro Palombo returns strongly to the theme of violence against women and draw attention to the poor responses from politics regarding the problem of gender-based violence and highlights the ineffectiveness of the support and protection system to the victims.

“Why should a woman report the violence if after the report she is not protected by the institutions and ends up being killed anyway? How can a woman victim of abuse and violence still have faith in the institutions? I only see the Politics inviting women to report but without taking the responsibility of giving protection and support to the victims. A State that does not protect but leaves women alone in the hands of their tormentor becomes a silent accomplice. There are many associations of volunteers who, with very little means, try to support the victims, but it is to the politics, institutions and the State to assume this responsibility,” said aleXsandro Palombo.

“Today, when feminicide violence against women is at its peak, aleXsandro Palombo is re-launching the debate with high-profile female such as Ursula von der Leyen, Christine Lagarde, Marine Le Pen, Anne Hidalgo, Kamala Harris and Kate Middleton, with their faces bleeding, facing us – showing at the same time the urgency of the situation for all women, but also for the most “powerful” of them who, like others, can die under the blows of a man. Through these shocking portraits but also the caption that accompanies them, aleXsandro Palombo reminds us, with strength and acuity, to the naked truth of the violence suffered by women in Europe and in the world. The work of aleXsandro Palombo is also a call to resistance and struggle, as well as a way of reaffirming, to those women who have the political means to move the lines, as well as to all of us, that “the responsibility is on us” declared, as an analysis of the new series, Christelle Taraud, French historian specialized in the history of women, gender and sexuality in a colonial context, teacher at the Parisian programmes of Columbia University, New-York University and CUPA.

Previous works on the same subject:

2013-2014, "What kind of man are you?“ and ”Coward" depicting the swollen faces of famous female cartoon characters such as Olive and Cinderella, Snow White and Marge Simpson...

2015, "Life Can Be A Fairy Tale If You Break The Silence. No woman is immune to domestic violence” that portrayed many abused celebrities victim of domestic violence to denounce violence against women in the world including: Gwyneth Paltrow, Kendall Jenner, Emma Watson, Angelina Jolie, Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Madonna and Kristen Stewart. A premonitory series that opened a great debate in the international media and anticipated the Weinstein scandal and the #MeToo movement.

2019, "Just Because I Am a Woman" showing famous world politics women as victims of gender violence: Michelle Obama, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Hillary Clinton, Aung San Suu Kyi, Sonia Gandhi, Angela Merkel and Brigitte Macron. A few months ago, the series has been acquired by the national collection of the MAD Museum of Decorative Arts of the Louvre in Paris. "These works bring an enrichment of quality to our funds thus entering the national collections" reports the document of the Museum of Decorative Arts of the Louvre.

About the artist

aleXsandro Palombo is an Italian contemporary Pop artist and activist, renowned for his colourful, reflective and irreverent works that focus on Pop culture, society, diversity, inclusion, ethics and human rights.

Other famous works:

"Disabled Disney Princesses"

"Disney Princesses, Breast Cancer Survivors”

”The Simpsons Go To Auschwitz”

"Marge Simpson in Mondrian" exposed at the Musée Yves Saint-Laurent in Paris on the occasion of the exhibition "The Mondrian revolution”.

And also:

"Who is next" the black Simpsons anti-racist

"Pope Francis Clochard" which put on the spotlight the increasing poverty around the world

"Break the Taboo" with Kim Kardashian and Marge Simpson immortalized with menstruation against taboos and stigma on the menstrual cycle.

"The Simpsons turn Black, I Can’t Breath"

Amongst the personalities who get the Simpson treatment: Kate Middleton, the marriage of George and Amal Clooney, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Adele, Caitlyn Jenner and many others.

Most recent exhibitions:

"Marge Simpson in Mondrian" at the Musée Yves Saint Laurent in Paris on the occasion of the exhibition "The Mondrian revolution"

"Life Is Not A Fairy Tale” solo show in the gallery of the Baltyk skyscraper in Poznan (Poland)

The "Violated Bodies" exhibition at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan, New York, at the Art Gallery "Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery & President's Gallery"

"Break the Silence" at SUNY - The State University of New York

"Marge Simpson Survivor" at Museum of Civilization in Quebec.

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