440 pairs of women's shoes on the wall: a tragic installation opened in Turkey

Vahit Tuna - an artist from Turkey, who suddenly found himself around the world. He created a ghostly installation to draw public attention to a serious problem - domestic violence. Four hundred and forty pairs of black high-heeled shoes placed on a huge wall is a bold statement about what is generally accepted in society. Each pair of shoes symbolizes a Turkish woman who died at the hands of her partner in 2018. This is a shocking figure for Turkey, and the number of such killings is growing here from year to year. The author of the installation made black high heel shoes a symbol of disobedience and independence. Tuna hopes that his impressive sculpture will raise awareness about this topic and make people in his country talk about it openly and without fear.

The installation was inspired by the funeral traditions of some Turkish regions, where the deceased's shoes are hung outside the house. In the case of an art object, several hundred pairs of shoes hang on the wall for the next six months.

Statistics say that in 2017, 58% of women killed worldwide died at the hands of their partners or family members. That is why such reminders of such a burning and difficult problem are invaluable examples of how society should fight for life without prejudice and stigmatization. Once you see this wall with 440 pairs of shoes, it will be difficult to forget.