June 10, 2024
Press Release: Thinking of You (The Hague, 2024), a public art installation by artist Alketa Xhafa Mripa
Survivors from South Sudan donate dresses for the art installation Thinking of You (The Hague, 2024).
Bringing clothes lines full of dresses to The Hague, a tribute to survivors of sexual violence in wartime
Locations: The Hague City Hall, 03-28 June 2024 & Lange Voorhout, 18-23 June 2024
In June 2024, The Hague City Hall and the Lange Voorhout will be festooned with washing lines full of dresses donated by survivors of sexual violence in conflict and their supporters. This landmark public art installation by the internationally recognized conceptual artist Alketa Xhafa Mripa will be a powerful homage to survivors of sexual violence in conflict worldwide. The artist created the installation in collaboration with the Mukwege Foundation, the Embassy of Kosovo in the Netherlands, and the Municipality of The Hague. Together, through this installation, we are calling to draw a Red Line to end conflict-related sexual violence.
This art installation is supported by our partners, the Nationale Postcode Loterij, the largest charity lottery in the Netherlands, and VFonds, the National Fund for Peace, Freedom and Veterans.
Introducing Thinking of You
The artist initially conceived the concept in response to the ongoing traumatization and social exclusion of survivors of sexual violence from the 1999 war in her native Kosovo. The first Thinking of You exhibition (Prishtina, 2015) was held in the football stadium in the capital of Kosovo, receiving international acclaim and attention.
Alketa has aimed to take this installation to other countries and to collaborate in solidarity with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence around the world. Since its initial launch in Kosovo and subsequent installations, Thinking of You has become a global symbol of remembrance and solidarity with survivors of sexual violence.
“I use art’s transformative and restorative power as a vehicle for raising awareness, empowering, and giving a platform to survivors of sexual violence in conflict to come forward and speak up. We must reach everyone in society and use all means at our disposal to end this intolerable suffering once and for all. The first Thinking of You, in my home nation of Kosovo, became a collective act of listening and healing for the estimated 20,000 survivors of sexual violence committed during the war there. Bringing Thinking of You to The Hague is a powerful homage to the survivors from all over the world and a call to decision-makers to take action.”- Alketa Xhafa Mripa
Thinking of You art installation (The Hague, 2024)
Ukrainian survivors donate a dress for Thinking of You (The Hague, 2024)
From June 3rd to June 28th 2024, Thinking of You will be installed in the Atrium of the City Hall, and from June 18th to 23rd, the installation will be extended along the avenue of trees on the Lange Voorhout in The Hague—this time gathering dresses and shirts from survivors of conflict-related sexual violence across the world.
The dresses are collected from over 20 countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Colombia. This powerful collection is possible with the support of SEMA, the Global Network of Victims and Survivors to End Wartime Sexual Violence, and many national survivors’ networks. The installation is a testimony of the reality of sexual violence in conflict and its human consequences, challenging a wide audience to think more deeply about the lived realities of survivors around the world and mobilize key decision-makers to draw a Red Line against the use of sexual violence and take stronger action in preventing and responding to conflict-related sexual violence.
With The Hague celebrated as the International City of Peace and Justice, there is no better place to present this exhibition. The installation will also commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict on June 19th 2024, hosting a special celebration in the evening and officially bringing the exhibition outdoors along the avenue of trees on the Lange Voorhout in The Hague.
“Art can be a powerful tool to touch people deeply and raise awareness about the consequences of conflict-related sexual violence. On this occasion, we are excited to collaborate with artist Alketa Xhafa Mripa in carrying out this meaningful art exhibition together with SEMA, the Global Network of Victims and Survivors to End Wartime Sexual Violence. It’s our wish that more people join us in drawing a Red Line against the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.” – Katrien Coppens, Executive Director at the Mukwege Foundation.
“Conflict-related sexual violence is a crime that strikes at the very heart of humanity and leaves the victims and survivors with an everlasting and excruciating pain. It is therefore our collective responsibility to act decisively and address the staggering reality of CRSV. This is why we are happy to collaborate with Artist Alketa Xhafa-Mripa, by bringing the power of Thinking of You art installation to the city of peace and justice.” – H.E. Dren Doli, Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo to the Kingdom of the Netherlands
“This year marks 125 years since the First Hague Peace Conference, a historic gathering that laid the groundwork for international cooperation and conflict resolution by establishing the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The Municipality of The Hague is very honoured to host the Alketa Xhafa-Mripa art installation Thinking of You this year, from 3rd to 23rd June. Establishing a permanent global Red Line against sexual violence in conflict is imperative for peace and justice worldwide.”- Mariëlle Vavier, Deputy Mayor International Affairs, Municipality of The Hague
About the artist
Alketa’s work delves into personal and universal themes that span motherhood, women, gender relations, memory, and the body. She utilizes various artistic mediums, including films, installations, paintings, and photography, to create pieces that draw from personal and collective experiences. She draws inspiration from the challenges that others face and endeavours to approach these themes from a personal and introspective point of view.
As a woman and artist, Alketa is committed to creating platforms and collaborations that foster new discourse and challenge oppression and injustice in different communities. Her experience as a mother and her feminist values provide Alketa with a unique perspective that allows her to approach women’s issues from a broad standpoint. She is especially passionate about supporting vulnerable communities of women, such as survivors of sexual violence and wartime rape, who continue to experience social stigmas. Collaboration and participation are essential aspects of her work, and involving others in the creative process brings an added level of passion to her art.
Alketa was born in Kosovo and moved to London in 1997 to study Fine Art at Central Saint Martins. During the Kosovo War of 1998-1999, she became a refugee. Currently, Alketa lives and works in London, collaborating on art projects throughout Europe and beyond.
For more information on Alketa and her work, please click here.
About Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation
The Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation is an international rights-based, survivor-centred organisation working to change the global response to conflict-related sexual violence.
We support survivors’ demands for a world where sexual violence as a weapon of war is no longer tolerated and bears consequences for individual perpetrators and states. We work for a future where survivors receive the holistic care and compensation they need to rebuild their lives. We create opportunities for survivors to speak out and be heard, and where they can organize to create change, influence policies, and demand justice and accountability. In 2023 the Mukwege Foundation started The Red Line Initiative, a campaign to call for strong action against the use of sexual violence in conflict For more information about the Mukwege Foundation, contact the foundation via media@mukwegefoundation.org, or visit our website and Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About The Hague
The Hague is well known as the International City of Peace and Justice and the only Dutch city nestled along the Dutch coast. Home to the International Court of Justice and numerous other international organisations. The Hague also serves as the seat of the Dutch Government. Besides that, the city offers bustling markets, world-class museums including the iconic Mauritshuis, housing Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring”. With its inviting atmosphere and global significance, The Hague stands as a beacon of diplomacy and cultural exchange in Europe.
About the Embassy of Kosovo
The Embassy of Kosovo in The Hague is the official diplomatic representation of the Republic of Kosovo to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Among others, the Embassy aims to further develop and strengthen diplomatic, political, economic and cultural relations with the host country, as well as with international organisations based in The Hague. Bringing the art installation Thinking of You to the city of peace and justice is part of the continuous efforts of Kosovo to seek justice and raise awareness for all those who suffered excruciating violence during the conflict in Kosovo at the end of the 90s and in all conflicts worldwide.
