Fancy Women on Bikes

These pieces are based on an event called "Fancy Women on Bikes" that was originated in Izmir (Turkey) and founded by Sema Gur in 2013. Thousands of women — wearing fancy dresses and riding fancily decorated bicycles, took to the streets of cities across Turkey to proclaim the women's right to cycle free from harassment or bullying. This annual event is seen as a "celebration" and not as a protest or organized demonstrations, being the main goal to raise awareness of the intimidation that many women are subject to while cycling. The "Fancy Women on Bikes" movement was born to unite women in proudly reclaiming their right to public spaces with the simple yet powerful message: “We should go wherever we want, dress however we like, be visible, yet not be disturbed.”

This artwork is part of a series of works based on this theme, taking the movement outside of Turkey to other countries since I feel that this right to feel comfortable in public spaces is familiar to all women and spans across cultures.

– Samanta Tello