Confronting Violence Against Women: Artistic Intervention ‘Las Formas de Morir’ Challenges Societal Norms

Original article: Las formas de morir: Intervención para interrumpir la mirada y confrontar la violencia contra las mujeres

Every November 25th, recognized as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, reveals an undeniable truth: femicides persist due to deep-rooted violence embedded in our social, emotional, and institutional practices.

In this context, «Las Formas de Morir» emerges to force a confrontation with what often remains hidden: the deaths over the span of a year materialized into a physical presence, displayed in public spaces as an interruption to the routine and widespread indifference.

This ongoing effort began in 2011 with public actions in non-traditional venues: streets, courthouses, women’s prisons, landmark schools, and universities, culminating in the theatrical piece «Después de la Violencia» presented in 2016.

Currently led by Elizabeth Lewin and Nicolas Cottet, «Las Formas de Morir» aims to dismantle dominant narratives that oversimplify violence and create post-disciplinary devices—whether scenic, physical, or testimonial—that can expose its complexity without neutralization. This current intervention does not merely replicate previous efforts; it evolves, updates, and repositions the question of violence within a living landscape.

The mobilizing power of these interventions has repeatedly demonstrated its effectiveness: they unsettle, spark conversation, and carve out a space that is often missing in everyday life.

Reflecting on this dimension, psychologist and performance artist Elizabeth Lewin notes: «Whenever we carry out these interventions, discussions emerge. This space becomes crucial because people need to talk; they are moved and find resonance in the texts and interpretations. It is also significant to observe how many men, especially those strongly conditioned by norms, begin questioning their relationship with violence against women for the first time,» she explains.

The intervention is already underway with the installation of posters in men’s restrooms and other public spaces, aimed at provoking questions where silence is usually the norm.

On November 25th, a rope stretching across the river from the Pío Nono Bridge—burdened with the femicides of the past year—will serve as a final gesture: a visual disruption of the landscape compelling everyone to confront an absence turned presence that cannot be overlooked.

El Ciudadano