I was here

I do have hair, you know; it's the wind!

Hå Gamle Prestegård is such a beautiful place, right at the shore of the North Sea. The light and colours change every minute due to the wind, which yesterday made it difficult to hold the camera still. I wish it could capture the air as well as the image, it’s so refreshing. Hå Gamle Prestegård (gammel means old, prestegård means minister’s residence) has several buildings, and the workshop took place in the main building. Everything is very rustic and sturdy, and there is wonderful artwork everywhere. Even the windows in the barn look like pieces of art.

One table was set up with thread in all the colours of the rainbow and then some. I was early (a lifelong habit), and got to spend a little time with the artist, Lise Bjørne Linnert, herself.

We were a small group, 8 with Lise, which made conversation very easy. She started by telling about the background story of the project, “Desconocida Unknown Ukjent”, which is to create awareness of the femicide in Juarez, Mexico. During the last 17 years, 800 young women have disappeared or been murdered; 2 women a week at the present. We picked a name to embroider and got to work. We were watching a documentary about Juarez made by an American woman a few years ago while we were working.

What can I say? I don’t know what’s worse; the horrible destiny of each of these young women, the grief of their loved ones or the fact that it’s just going on and on and on. It’s somewhere between pulling your hair out and screaming on the top of your lungs frustrating. So what are you going to do? I think Lise’s approach is wonderful; to give these women a voice, to show that they are not forgotten, to show the world that this is happening.

Her installations include 600 names that are public + “unknown” in different languages to symbolize all the other women that disappear. Here is my humble contribution to her project (you could probably pick them out by the colours).Maria Santos Ramirez; you were here. I will remember that.

I know it takes all kinds and all that, but people who trade women like commodities, use them and abuse them then throw them away when they’re done like they don’t matter at all? Really??

Now I’m going to hug my loved ones.