We wish we could have been in Venice to see Odile Decq raise the first fan in the feminist flash mob, but we were cheering on from the antipodes. We look forward to hearing more about it. In the meantime here is the VOW manifesto and a flash mob of images.
Manifesto
The VOW Manifesto read by Martha Thorne at the flashmob, 11am, Friday 26 May, Giardini della Biennale.
We as Voices of Women are building conversations and taking actions to raise awareness to combat pervasive prejudices and disrespectful behaviour that appears to be systemic in our culture and discipline.
We are united in denouncing discrimination, harassment and aggressions against any member of our community. We will not tolerate it. We will not stand silent.
Women are not a minority in the world but women are still a minority in the architecture’s field and we want that it could reflect better the world in which we live.
The Venice Biennale 2018 FREE SPACE is a crucial moment of awakening to promote equitable and respectful treatment of all members of the architectural community irrespective of gender, race, nationality, sexuality and religion. We will join hands with co-workers, students, clients, collaborators, and our male colleagues to create a new path forward towards equitable work and educational environments that promote respectful discourse and open exchange of ideas.
Be a fan of Voices of Women. Make a Vow to uphold fairness, transparency, and collaboration in Architecture NOW.
Voices of Women
The flashmob was an initiative from VOW – Voices of Women. See the VOW website for other events at the Venice Biennale. The VOW steering committee is:
- Atxu Amann, Founding Principal at Amann Canovas Maruri, Spanish Pavilion Venice Biennale 2018 Curator
- Caroline Bos, Founding Principal at UN Studio, Amsterdam
- Louise Braverman, Founding Principal at Louise Braverman Architect, NYC
- Odile Decq, Founding Principle, Studio Odile Decq, Paris. Founder of Confluence Institute, Lyon, France
- Caroline James, M.Arch Harvard GSD 2014, Women in Design Chair 2013-2014, Architectural Designer, Schwartz/Silver Architects, Boston, MA
- Charlotte Malterre-Barthes, ETH Zurich Professor in Architecture, Organizer of ETH Parity Talks.
- Toshiko Mori, Founding Principal, Toshiko Mori Architect, Robert P. Hubbard Professor in the Practice of Architecture, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Member of World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Design
- Farshid Moussavi, Founding Principal at Farshid Moussavi Architecture, London
- Francesca Perani, Founding Principal, FP Enterprise, and Co-organizer RebelArchitette, Bergamo, Italy
- Benedetta Tagliabue, Founding Principal at EMBT Architects, Barcelona
- Martha Thorne, Executive Director of the Pritzker Prize, Dean at IE School of Architecture and Design in Madrid
