A giant hand, the sum of the hands of everyone, to break through the steel wall of men’s violence against women. It is the concept of the artistic work «Almese against violence» which will be inaugurated on November 19th at Robinson Park in the municipality of Almese, province of Turin, and which will see Carmen Consoli godmother of the event and active part of the work. The silhouette of the artist’s hand is present in the installation together with that of many other hands united in a single battle.
Made of corten steel, the work of 2700×1400 centimeters and approximately 550 kilos is the result of six months of work, conceived byartivist Rosalba Castelli and the video artist Anna Olmoand made with the skill of the blacksmith Denis Valarin.
Emerging from the ground, the installation extends like an imposing “Stop violence”, an open hand that not only symbolizes resistance, but is ready to welcome those who feel alone and trapped in the spiral of mistreatment. Furthermore, it represents the continuation of a project started in 2021 with the first installation entitled “Together against violence” in the external square of the Dora Commercial Park in Turin. An «Indelible Red» thread – this is the name of the project promoted by the Artemixia association – which binds the city and the territory together.
«This is the hand that broke through the steel wall of violence – he tells The print Rosalba Castelli – It is the combination of all hands, an appeal to collective responsibility, each and every one starting from their own role. Only united and united can we break down the wall that separates from psychological and physical violence, victim blaming and gender stereotypes. The culture of violence can collapse thanks to collective commitment at all levels. We are already taking this step, but the journey must continue. Cultural transformation is a long process, things move with an unimaginable slowness. The challenge is to truly tear out the roots that fuel the persistence of gender violence in our culture.”
A plaque placed at the base of the installation will show the names of those who contributed to the creation of the work through a crowdfunding campaign. The project is supported by the Municipality of Almese, the Piedmont Region, the Piedmont Regional Council and the Otto per mille of the Waldensian Church, with the patronage of the Metropolitan City and the City of Turin.
Do you want to tell us your story? Write to Diversity Editor (Click here). Also on Facebook (Click here), Instagram (Click here), Twitter (Click here), LinkedIn (Click here).