This is a video of a massive instillation by the incredible female street artist SWOON and comrade Tennessee Jane Watson. Both women visited Juarez Mexico, the site of the infamous Juarez Femicide . Since 1993, about 400 women have been killed, all were young, most were raped. There are still more women that have been abducted or are missing. These crimes have never been solved and continue to this day.
The subject of this piece is Silvia Elena, a 17 year old girl who was one of the first Juarez women to be killed. Unfortunately I was out of town while this piece was being shown. Friends of mine who were able to see it in person described the underground gallery as being ‘oppressive’ and ‘like entering a tomb.’ Inside the gallery there were candles and a recording of Silvia Elena’s mother speaking about her daughter in Spanish and weeping. This is the single most powerful piece of art about the plight of women that I know of.
-Emma Onstott
