#stwtsmile

stoptellingwomentosmile

Thank you, Tatyana, for helping the women of Brooklyn re-claim their streets!

Throwback Of tatyanafazlalizadeh on a Brooklyn Rooftop

I installed this piece in LA a couple of weeks ago. It will be up through the summer. Today I talked with the gallery owner about the reactions the piece as has been causing in the community and... a lot of men are not happy.  Of course. 

Stop Telling Women to Smile is an internationally recognized art project that confronts gender based street harassment. The wheat pasting night is an opportunity for people to bring the work to their corners of the world. Those interested in participating in the night of action can visit stoptellingwomentosmile.com. There, they will find a form to request downloadable PDF's of Stop Telling Women to Smile posters. "The idea behind the wheat pasting night is to create a night of solidarity. People from all all over can participate in a night of action, knowing that hundreds of people in different parts of the world are doing the same thing." - Tatyana Fazlalizadeh

In September, I partnered with Fusion Digital to take Stop Telling Women to Smile to Mexico City. It was my first time to Mexico, and my first time recreating STWTS outside of the US. I wanted to learn what women in Mexico City experience with sexual harassment in public spaces, and how I could use my project to help them fight against it. Following the same process I use here in the states - talking with groups of women, interviewing individual women, drawing their portraits, and adding their words - I created 7 new portraits of women ranging in age from early 20's to mid 50's. We then wheat pasted dozens and dozens of prints over Mexico City. For the past 5 months, Fusion has been working hard to create an interactive website that takes viewers not only through our week-long trip to the city, but an extensive look at the problem of street harassment through the stories of 76 women. The site includes videos detailing the process, an interactive map listing where we pasted, and several clips of women describing harassment they've received, and what they want to say about it. It was an amazing experience. The Fusion crew and I had a lot of help to make this happen. Ingrid, who hosted us at her art space, Umbrella. Yucari and Emmanuel, who helped scout pasting locations and helped me paste. Gabriela, for her support. And all of the women who donated their time, energy, and stories. We left hundreds of posters in Mexico City, and since my trip, the pasting has continued by volunteers. I encourage to spend some time on this site. Listen to these women's stories.

Portrayed in the work are Melanie, Khamara, and Onisha.  - Tatyana