On the International Day against Violence against Women, a huge mural was unveiled in Eindhoven that draws attention to violence against women. Artist Annabel van Groesen was harassed while creating the street art herself. That made the artwork personal. “I started taking my friend or a colleague with me, because I no longer dared to work on the street alone.”
The artwork is part of it Orange the Worlda global campaign by the United Nations to draw attention to violence against women. Annabel does not think that her mural will reduce this violence, but hopes that the problem will become more visible and therefore open to discussion.
“Domestic violence is often not visible. I hope that victims recognize themselves in my art and feel seen and heard. That they know that they are not alone,” says the artist.
She actually hopes and expects that the mural will make not only victims, but also perpetrators think. “While I was working I received comments from men. Some understood and others disagreed.”
That sometimes even went far, too far, says Annabel. “There were those who wanted something from me. Others wanted to make strange videos or photos of me.” That feeling of insecurity made her always take someone with her. “Because otherwise I wouldn’t feel safe.”
A National Monument against sexual violence was unveiled in Winschoten, Groningen, on Tuesday. It consists of two bronze statues.
Olcay Gulsen from Waalwijk, ambassador of the women’s rights organization Orange the World and creator of the series Olcay & Domestic Violence, was involved in the revelation. The people who posed in front of the monument have had experience with such violence themselves. One described her experience as being “surrounded by silence.” “That is why the monument that is being unveiled today is so important,” says Gulsen. “The monument breaks that silence. It says: we see you. You are not alone.”
Did boys know what was normal?
According to Annabel, she was often not treated pleasantly in previous relationships. She thinks it’s because those guys hadn’t learned how to interact with women. “I only now, much later, found out that their behavior was wrong. They probably didn’t know that either.”
At the time, she herself did not know where her boundaries were and what to do with the behavior of her ex-boyfriends. “That wasn’t talked about.” That is precisely why Annabel thinks it is so important that her art opens the conversation about violence against women.
The mural can be seen on Kronehoefstraat in Eindhoven. Many people pass by here every day. Annabel thinks that the work of art would certainly have benefited her in the past. “If I had come here every day, I would have thought about what the painting means. Maybe I would have been able to indicate my boundaries.”