440 PAIR SHOES AS A SYMBOL OF PROTESTATION


Vahit Tuna from Turkey, hung 440 high heels around buildings in Instanbul, a pair for each woman killed by their husband in 2018.

The haunting artwork aims to draw public attention to the problem of domestic abuse which is so often swept under the carpet.
Two buildings feature the installation, one in Istanbul’s Kabataş neighbourhood and the other in the Beyoğlu district.
Vahit chose to spread the message across an area of approximately 260 square meters on the outer wall on the building of Yanköşe, a not-for-profit art platform

In some parts of Turkey, it’s customary to leave the shoes of someone who’s passed away outside on the wall of their home.
With the same idea in mind, Vahit chose 440 black high heeled shoes, because of how they look and what they symbolise.
The artist explained to Turkish media that heels are a sign of independence and defiance, mixing feminine power and agency.
He lamented that the women who died don’t have the chance to live independent lives.