On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Italian Permanent Mission to the International Organisations in Vienna brought to the UN Headquarters in Vienna an exhibition of works by Giulia Neri, an artist from the Farnesina Collection of contemporary art as, well as the Red Bench, the symbol of the campaign to combat all forms of violence against women.
Organised in collaboration with the ”International Gender Champions” network, the exhibition featured a selection of works on the theme of women’s empowerment and gender-based violence. The art pieces are drawn from the collection that is currently displayed at the Permanent Mission in Vienna, which is hosting a temporary exhibition by the artist since the beginning of the year. The artist has also created an original artwork for the event inspired by the “Orange the world Campain”, which was presented during the opening of the exhibition. The image will also be used on social media during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, commonly known as the 16 Days Campaign, which kicks off on November 25.
At the same time, a “red bench” has been installed on the UN premises in Vienna, reinforcing the initiative promoted by Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, as a symbol of the Italian commitment to fight violence against women, both in Italy and worldwide. The bench will remain on display at the Vienna International Center throughout the 16Days campaign.
The Italian event was part of the broader program promoted by the Vienna based Organizations and was attended by some of their heads, including UNIDO Director General Gerd Muller and UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly, as well as numerous Member States and civil society representatives.
