Guggenheim’s Rotunda Swathed In Red By Artists In Support Of Iranian Women

In a rather dramatic unveiling, a group of artists showed support for the women of Iran by releasing 12 red banners from the top of the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum’s famed rotunda, hoping to spotlight the ongoing protests in the Middle Eastern country. 

“This homage is a call for action to support the current revolution in Iran, led by brave Iranian women risking their lives to stand up against oppression to overthrow a longtime authoritarian regime,” the collective said in a statement.

According to Artnet News, the uproar in the country was first sparked when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, more commonly known as Jina or Zhina, passed away after being arrested by the “morality police” for failing to wear a headscarf in the proper manner.

Bystanders reported that Amini was brutality assaulted, leading to a surge of women-led protests across the nation calling for greater liberty and gender equality.

At the moment, at least 200 people are believed to have been killed in the dissent, with citizens’ internet access restricted. 

To show their support for the Iranian women’s plight, the dozen banners unfurled at the Guggenheim were adorned with a black portrait of Amini and a slogan that read “women, life, liberty” in Kurdish. 

“The people of Iran are subjected to horrific violence and brutality on a daily basis. With restricted internet access and minimal coverage by western media, it is time to see them and hear them by shedding light on their fearless fight against a totalitarian system,” the artist collective said.

[via Artnet News and Anonymous Artist Collective For Iran, cover image via Anonymous Artist Collective For Iran]