Johannesburg – Like something out of a Marvel comic, a masked heroine took to the streets of Johannesburg to perform an arts protest that disrupted the frivolous atmosphere of this week’s First Thursday art events in Johannesburg.
The anonymous performer, who is part of a collective called Her Shadow Was Here, walked the streets while projected animations of Johannesburg’s harassed women lit up the inner city’s buildings.
“We need to emphasise the fact that women can’t walk safely in the streets, and that we have no city in this country that we can live in safely,” the performer told City Press by telephone.
“The main outcome of the work is to remind people of the state of the nation at the moment, not just outside, but in their homes,” she said.
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For the next few months, different performances and protests will take place around the city.
“The message last night was that we need to make city streets safe for women, but it will also evolve. We’re angry, and we all need to occupy these city spaces.
“But the problem is bigger than that. When will it be safe at home, to leave the house, or to go to university?”
The next performance by the Her Shadow Was Here collective will take place in three weeks.
“I’m encouraging women who want to get involved to join me. The only way things are going to get better is if we do something together,” she said.
To find out more about the next performance protest, follow Her Shadow Was Here on its Twitter and Instagram accounts (@followhershadow).
