Micro-aggression

March 8, 2026

An award-winning exhibition open to all forms of artistic expression
against micro-aggressions towards women…

to educate future generations.

Motivation: Micro-aggressions towards women are the most hidden expressions of a culture that fails to achieve substantial gender equality and has disturbing repercussions on gestures and habits, reaching the extremes of physical violence and bullying in a broader sense.

Definition: Micro-aggressions towards women is represented by attitudes, beliefs, words, and gestures that harm women in everyday life, often without the offender’s awareness.

Project: A cultural revolution is needed to lead us significantly closer to substantial gender equality. Although endowed with a perfect message, every evolution of common feeling takes at least a generation to become accepted: we have a lot of work to do. First we must find the message. To create it, the contribution of creatives from all forms of artistic expressions is needed to transform the idea first into images, then into moments of reflection, finally to become the way of thinking. The award exhibition, open to all creatives, under the patronage of the Viterbo Department of Social Services and the Province of Viterbo, will take place at the deconsecrated church of San Giacomo on Via Saffi, Viterbo (headquarters of the Knights of Malta, Viterbo delegation) from Saturday, March 7, 2026, to Sunday, March 15, 2026. After the opening on Saturday, March 7, at 6:30 PM, during the week, from Monday, March 9, to Friday, March 13, 2026, schools* in Viterbo will be invited for one-hour guided educational tours. They and all visitors will be asked to anonymously complete a form summarizing their impressions of the visit.

*Within the participating schools, we propose the same challenge to students: in an artistic medium of their choice (painting, poetry, artificial intelligence, etc.), present the message for future social and traditional campaigns against subtle violence. The works will be included in an online exhibition on the school website, from which one (or more) winners will be chosen and awarded during a specially organized ceremony.

“Words are heavy”

*All’interno della scuole coinvolte proponiamo la stessa sfida agli studenti: in forma artistica a scelta (quadro, poesia, intelligenza artificiale etc) presentare il messaggio per future campagne social e tradizionali contro la violenza sottile. Le opere partecipano alla creazione di una mostra online nel sito della scuola da cui viene scelto un (o più) vincitore che riceve il premio durante cerimonia appositamente organizzata.

 

 

 

 

 

Proposed by : Department of Social Services of the Municipality of Viterbo, Province of Viterbo, Ombre Festival,
Fantappiè Institute, European Psychological Institute, Tuscia in Fiore

     

Annex 1. Call for Participation.

Art exhibition “Subtle Violence” to present in artistic form the subculture of gender relations: attitudes, beliefs, words, and gestures that harm women in everyday life. One or more artists will join together to create visual works with varied content that can convey the message for future campaigns against subtle gender violence.

By 11:59 PM on February 15, 2026, (Italian time) artists from around the world must submit a digital file of their artwork in jpg or pdf format (maximum size 10MB) to info@tusciainfiore.it:

  • Visual artwork (painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, illustration)
  • Digital artwork (graphic or video art, specifying the prompt and model)
  • Literary messages inserted into paintings, creations, or visual compositions (no minimum limit, but a maximum of 250 characters)

Criteria for selection to the exhibit

  • Relevance to the theme
  • Technical and artistic quality
  • Communication ability

Collaboration between multiple artists is encouraged. A panel of experts will select the 10 finalist works for the exhibition. These will also include the first, second, and third place winners of the technical jury. The selected artists will be notified by Sunday, February 22, 2026. The selected works must be delivered (shipping costs are the responsibility of the artists) by March 2, 2026, to Via San Biele 18, 01100 Viterbo, C/O Claudio Fortugno. The ten finalists will receive a commemorative plaque during the Finissagge on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 6:30 PM. The three finalists will explain the meaning and message of their works to the audience. In the final phase, the sole winner of the popular jury will be awarded a prize. The third, second, and first place overall will then receive a local artisanal work of art as the award for the competition.

The works remain property of the artists but must be available for two years for further exhibitions. School classes and groups of visitors will be invited to guided tours of the exhibition, during which all the finalist’s works will be presented and explained to convey the proposed message. Guests will be asked to provide a written account of the interactive experience. A popular jury prize will be awarded. During the Finissagge, Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 6:00 PM, the two awards ceremony (by the technical jury and the popular jury) will take place at the deconsecrated church of San Giacomo on Via Saffi (headquarters of the Viterbo delegation of the Knights of Malta).

There are no cash prizes. Admission to the award-winning competition is completely free.

DOWNLOAD Annex 1. Call for Participation IN PDF