Breaking the silent legacies of war: Exploring transnational feminist art activisms and conflict-related gender-based violence

Arts activisms and gender-based violence through transnational perspectives

Abstract

Creative arts are vital in helping to raise awareness of the ongoing phenomenon known as “rape as weapon of war”, which has been described by the United Nations (2024a) as one of the ‘greatest silences’ that ‘continues to be chronically underreported’, as sexual violence is systematically encouraged and tolerated during conflicts. In this article, I explore two installations that expose conflict-related gender-based violence to international audiences and advocate for the justice of women’s rights to a life free of violence: Alketa Jhafa Mripa’s Thinking of you (2015), first displayed in Kosovo’s football stadium, and Patricia Cronin’s Shrine for girls (2015), initially presented at the 56th Venice Biennale. By exploring artworks from different locations and different legacies of war, I argue for art’s vital role in giving voice to the greatest s ilence o ccurring during armed conflicts.