Norwegian artist Lise Bjorne Linnert will present in Juarez and El Paso
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| Project Desconocida by Norwegian artist Lise Bjorne Linnert |
News release
May 20, 2016
Amnesty International presents Project
Desconocida/Proyecto Desconocida by Norwegian artist Lise Bjorne Linnert in
Mexico May 21-June 4, 2016.
The project involves the embroidery of nametags to
protest the continuing murders of women in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and in
remembrance of similar crimes worldwide.
“When I initiated the project in 2006 I did not plan
for it to last for 10 years. I wanted people to become aware of the
situation in Juarez, connect and engage in the cause of violence against women
and diminish the distance we tend to feel towards such difficult issues. The
continuing of the project grew from people´s engagement and the sad fact that
little changes in the originate city and country.” – Lise Bjorne Linnert,
international artist.
[Ms. Bjorne will be the featured speaker for a May
27 panel at noon (12 p.m.) on art as protest and the femicides of Mexico at Café Mayapan in El
Paso, Texas, sponsored by The Digie Zone and Journalists for Justice.]
EL PASO, TEXAS – Project Desconocida/Unknown/Ukjent is in its
10th year utilizing an international mass collaboration, embroidering nametags to protest the continuing murder of women in Juárez, Mexico and
in remembrance of similar crimes worldwide.
Background
Desconocida Unknown
Ukjent was
initiated in 2006 in response to the ongoing situation in Juarez where more
than 2000 women have been mutilated and murdered the last 24 years and hundreds
have disappeared. By April 2016, 4800 people, in around 480 globally arranged
workshops, have embroidered 7900 labels. Each participant embroiders two; one
with the name a murdered woman in Juarez; the other with unknown in
their own language to memorize victims of similar crimes globally.
Artist’s visit to El Paso, Juarez and Mexico
City, May 21 – June 4th, 2016
Ms. Bjorne’s is bringing
the labels to Juarez and Mexico City. The purposes
of her trip are: to meet the families of violence in Juarez again, show them
the care and protest from so many around the world; working with activists
locally to raise awareness and use the labels to add focus to their work;
arrange workshops in both cities, embroidering new names added to the list of
victims. “I will collaborate with Amnesty International in Mexico in addition
to local activist groups and help organizations,” Bjorne said.
El Paso presentation and panel on “Art as Protest”
Panel will include international artist Lise
Bjorne Linnert, who will demonstrate a part of her work; Miguel Juarez,
academic and art advocate; Margarita Cabrera, renowned artist based in El Paso;
Marisela Ortiz, co-founder of Nuestras Hijas a Regreso a Casa who fled threats
in Juarez and received U.S. asylum; and (tentatively) a member of Mexicanos en
Exilio (Mexicans in Exile); Diana Washington Valdez of Journalists for Justice
will be the moderator.
The panel is at 12 p.m. May 27 at Café Mayapan.
The public is invited and admission is free.
During her stay in the El Paso-Juarez border
region, Ms. Bjorne will be available for workshops and interviews. Her contact
information is email: website: http://www.lisebjorne.com/; phone: +4799464060
For information about the panel: info@thedigiezone.com or Diana Washington Valdez at (915) 637-4473.
Harald Gunnar Paalgard, a highly regarded filmmaker from
Norway, is accompanying Ms. Bjorne during her project presentations.
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