Disruptive society
Feminist movement in virtual reality
For so many years, women have bravely fought to make their voices and rights be heard. The feminist movement has deep historical roots, making International Women's Day a date of great significance. Every year, on March 8th, the streets fill with color purple, as well as the hands and voices of every strong women fighting for gender equality and female empowerment.
In Mexico, this day symbolizes a day of protest, advocacy and recognition of women's struggle against systematic gender inequality, violence and lack of reproductive rights. The #8M movement, alongside the #NiUnaMenos campaign, have given strength and attention towards the urgency of government action and societal change.
In recent years, International Women's Day has become a controversial subject in the Mexican community. As a predominantly patriarchal and sexist society, women's mobilized activism is not all too well received, which ultimately results in harsh backlash and tough resistance from government bodies.
In response to these adversities, however, the movement has only become bigger and stronger, finding different ways to voice women's demands for justice, equality and dignity.
Big cities and urban centers have always served activists as a medium to express their wants and needs. One of the most powerful forms of expression goes back to the very beginnings of humanity: wall painting. Worldwide, beautiful pieces of graffiti and urban art that challenge societal norms cover buildings and streets to speak out in a vibrant, colorful way.
Nevertheless, it has brought conflict to the feminist movement. On one hand, graffiti provides a visual, tangible expression of thoughts, experiences and needs. It symbolizes a medium to share opinions and stories that otherwise would not be seen or heard.
On the other, graffiti art is still perceived by many to be violent and negative. In addition to the resistance the feminist movement presents due to its nature, it becomes a symbol of vandalism that ends up undermining the efforts to create a meaningful change.
This is how the project 'Disruptive society' comes to life. Our purpose is to offer a creative medium in which feminist-inspired "disruptive thoughts" are expressed in non-disruptive ways. Modern technology allow us to graffiti walls in a way that looks as real as ever, but doesn't actually touch buildings in any way.
Taking inspiration from the posters and phrases that make up #8M, we created typographic compositions that could later be 3D modeled and rendered.
These models were then imported into Adobe Aero, to create a virtual, interactive experience in the place where it all started: city walls. You can experience it yourself by scanning the code with your phone or clicking the link down below.
By taking advantage of modern day technologies, we hope to create a protesting alternative that amplifies marginalized voices without giving the counterpart an opportunity to attack the movement. We strive to create public safe spaces that showcase women's fight for justice all throughout the year so that, someday, every woman and girl can walk the streets without fear.
Let's continue to work towards an inclusive, equitable society, free from violence and discrimination.
