I don’t want to sound too basic, but there is a true bond that is created between the Erasmus student and the city that hosts them for a period of time. At least I know that this happened to me – when I arrived in Chambéry, in the middle of the French Alps, I honestly wanted to run back home, but now but now when I look outside the window I don’t miss Piedmontese landscape too much. Then when walking through the old town I stumble across a project like Street Scream, my love for this city increases automatically even more. For the feminist activist who hides behind a Darth Vader t-shirt these things can never go unnoticed, and then how I could not tell you all about it, Bossy readers?
Street Scream. The street art project created by Hugo Szczepaniak and Roby Personnaz, and it’s brilliant because of its simplicity: seven pairs of shoes, seven QR codes, seven places in the city where rapes, harassment and violence against women have taken place. Three ingredients that together create a good project that transmit a powerful message, which unfortunately has not lost yet its importance. For every pair of shoes there is a QR code that, when scanned, shows the picture of a woman’s face, crying or angry, a range of emotions to a complaint that is kept quiet, although there is indeed a scream in the title of the project, it’s nonetheless very important.
Walking around the city to look for the seven pairs of shoes was my first real experience as a “field reporter,” my camera and I and my headphones in my ears – some of the pairs had already disappeared because #neverajoy, but I managed to track down the other pairs, to look at the pictures associated with the QR code, to think about it. And to draw up a couple of questions to ask on of the project’s creators, Hugo Szczepaniak. We also need to thank my great French skills for this interview (in which I asked “Excuse me, can you repeat?” at least twenty times because I can spend seven months in France, but for the French argot there is just no hope).
B. How did Street Scream come about? What’s the story behind it?
H. It was a project for the University, where I study Communication. We had to create a street art, wherever we wanted in the city, and I thought that the whole thing had to have an aspect of complaint.
B. And why did you choose this topic specifically?
H. Because it’s an issue that I feel very close to. It has continuous effects on many of the people with whom I am in touch with every day, on my friends, and I have then informed myself about the issues concerning street harassment. It was very important for me to talk about it.
B. What was the creative process behind the project? How did you implement it?
H. First we collected the shoes, regardless of their style. We did not want to rely on clichés, we wanted to make sure that each pair actually belonged to the girl. We then informed ourselves about the places in which to place the shoes, and as a last thing we took the photos. There was also a lot of work behind the shots because what I wanted was to portray true and authentic emotions, so we discussed a lot with the models.
B. If I understood correctly you have also received criticism for this project. Is that true?
H. Yes. I was accused of being a man and that I got involved in something that doesn’t concern me at all, and that therefore it should not interest me.
B. “Should not interest me”… It reminds me of the speech by Emma Watson for the HeForShe campaign, when she said that “feminism is also for men,” and it certainly isn’t meant to exclude them. I’m tempted to ask you what you think of this sentence.
H. It goes back exactly to the criticism I received. I don’t think the fight against the stupidity of the company society is exclusively a female fight. It’s a shame that there are still some people who refuse and reject the efforts of other people: it really doesn’t help the ultimate aim. Actually, quite the opposite.
B. What is the situation of gender violence in France? Is anyone doing anything at national level, maybe to raise public awareness?
H. I know there are many cities that have been spreading a lot of information for a number of years now, engaging also the local artists and whatnot. Lyon has also put in place a program against harassment on public transport.
B. And are these efforts sufficient, in your opinion?
H. Actually no, not really. There are still many places, such as Paris first of all, where the issue is really left to the Stone Age. I think that it’s not only possible to do much, much more, but I think that it’s also necessary.
B. Do you have anything else to say regarding Street Scream?
H. I’m really happy I was able to transmit a message against gender violence in this way. I put my whole heart into what I did and I hope that the project has impacted the people who have seen it, that it has made them think and reflect.
It’s true, Street Scream is a university project, a little one, that may not change the world. But it has truly warmed my heart to see it on the streets of this city that has sort of become my second home. It reminded me that actually even the smallest action can help. Even the smallest cry joins the voice and makes it stronger. Capable of being heard.
