Female Crimes

The performance Female Crimes ‘جرایم زنانه’ denounces the unjust and arbitrary crimes used to prosecute women for what are designated as ‘moral’ crimes. In Afghanistan, a rigidly patriarchal society applies religious laws and social taboos accusing women of crimes such as cheating, falling in love with a man who is not their assigned man, or simply for the free expression of their femininity. These moral condemnations demonstrate the hypocrisy and unequal treatment of women compared to their male counterparts, who would never be accused of such offences.

In Female Crime visitors can see a series of drawings installed inside the openings of the old cell doors, each drawing symbolically representing the crimes for which women can end up in jail. In one of the cells, instead of the drawing, the artist herself will be present, alone and locked in the cell, assuming the pose of kings as portrayed in Persian fairy tales; the character impersonated by Khademi expresses female sexual power, transforming herself into a mythological figure halfway between a witch and a djinn, a mythological creature belonging to Islamic folklore. Through this imaginary creature Khademi raises a socio-political critique of the misogynistic and male chauvinist culture that demonises and blames women, turning them into monsters. As if in response to the oppression that patriarchal societies exert on women, Khademi impersonates these monsters.

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