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Divine Violence is conceived around “Jin, Jîyan, Azadî (ژن، ژیان، ئازادی),” or “Women, Life, Freedom.” Not just a slogan; “Jin, Jîyan, Azadî (ژن، ژیان، ئازادی),” is the discourse that came to light following the killing of a woman, Mahsa Amini, at the age of 22 by morality police in Iran. The phrase defines the actions taken by women toward freedom and gender equality in the Islamic state. The death of Amini, was the sacrification of the woman, which is both sanctified and cursed. In other words, the finger cut by the Sharia doesn’t hurt. The action ignited the feminist revolutionary struggle in Iran.

This exhibition seeks to investigate the ordinary and extraordinary emancipatory actions for women's lives and freedom in the Middle East from post-revolutionary Iran to today. Moreover, this exhibition will provide an alternative reading of Middle Eastern history through the lens of Islamic feminism and feminist solidarity. The controversial role of Middle Eastern women in the Islamic world will be critiqued. The geography of violence will be reinterpreted through the narratives, realities, testimonies, and distorted memories in Islamic feminist history.

The exhibition brings together an artist/lawyer SB Arch Lab, a researcher/curator Gülistan Kenanoğlu, and an artist/architect Çağlar Hanaylı who stand opposite the feudal, sexist, and patriarchal system. Through their similar stories and the stories they have witnessed they will reinterpret Islamic feminist history through the lens of women’s liberation.