Have you ever wondered, what is the limit between tradition and moral integrity?
Every year, women from all over the world have to endure all sorts of agonies, disguised as millenary customs. In recent years the attention of the world has been drawn to genital mutilation, a ritual practiced in over 30 countries, according to UNICEF, over 200 million women underwent this torture in 2016. The reason behind this practice varies from region to region, but we cannot help but be compelled by the thought that the driving force behind this practice is the belief that women shouldn’t be allowed to enjoy their sexuality or feel pleasure whatsoever. International organizations have stepped in trying to curb these practices, the UN has urged healthcare providers to stop these procedures. There are those who spout cultural relativism and decide to look away, but it is time we took a closer look at these practices and unflinchingly analyze practices that bring lifelong pain to people.
Violence towards women is a reality in every continent. However, this has become an everyday issue for women in Latin American countries like Guatemala, who have had to live under the shadows of war for almost four decades. Fortunately, people have started to take actions against that normalization of violence and misery. Artists like Regina José Galindo are making public statements to fight against repression. She has stated that femicide is closely linked to the 36 years of the Guatemalan Civil War, in which women were dehumanized and perversely tortured.
Using the famous “Body art” of the seventies, this artist links gender abuse with the political events of her country through her body. In pieces like Perra (2005) the artist engraves the word “perra” (“bitch” in Spanish) on her thigh to denounce the verbal violence women bear every day. Many people think that this type of abuse is harmless, but as Galindo shows, it can scar the body and mind.
To criticize the government’s violence and indifference, in 2006 Galindo created a performance called Limpieza Social, in which she stood in front of a wall and was blasted with high-pressure water. Through this performance, she attempted to criticize how police attack protesters as if water cannons could cleanse their ideologies.
It’s a visual way to open the eyes of people who look away and ignore human rights’ violations. Galindo has mentioned that she doesn’t intend to provocative or subversive, but rather generate empathy towards global problems.
One of her most famous performances is Himenoplastia (2004), in which she got a surgical reconstruction of her hymen and vagina to “become a virgin again.” She wanted to highlight and criticize how society values female sexuality based on virginity.
The violence of performances like Himenoplastia intends to create a dialogue between the principles of Body Art and the reality that millions suffer every day. Although these crude images are not really meant to end the world’s problems, they work as a means to eradicate the worst issue: society’s apathy.
From a general point of view, the fact that artists like Regina José Galindo want to give voice to those that suffer any type of violence, and that they’re successful in doing so, is a sign of the sensitivity and rising awareness from society. Promoting the work of these creators is necessary to spread the voice, and finally, end with all the integrity violations going around the globe. Here are 6 Artists Who Show Your Hypocrisy When It Comes To Refugees.
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You can visit Regina José Galindo’s website to see more of her performances.
Sources:
El País
Feminicidio.net
UNFPA
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Translated by María Isabel Carrasco Cara Chards
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