16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM - Seeing the Unseen

Seeing the Unseen: Hidden Messages About Power, Women and Resilience in Our Visual History

As part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, SHEROES COLLECTIVE invites you to an online talk exploring the hidden messages about women, power, and resilience embedded in our visual history.

This session revisits artworks from our National Gallery tours alongside contemporary imagery, examining how the male gaze, subtle violences, and societal expectations have shaped the representation of women across history.

It is a session about contemporary herstories , reflecting on the challenges still ahead while celebrating how women’s collectives and communities are key to resisting oppression. Here, healing is part of protest, and resilience is a virtue, highlighting peaceful ways to pursue justice and equity.

We will explore how these images have influenced our visual culture today and normalised narratives about women’s roles, power, and agency. Alongside this critical reflection, we will celebrate stories of resistance, creativity, and courage, showing how women navigated, challenged, and reimagined their roles within artworks and the societies that produced them.

⚠️ Sensitive Content Warning: This talk will touch on sensitive topics, including sexual violence and beauty standards, which may be triggering. This is a safe space: you are welcome to step away at any time and return when ready, and you can share your reflections at the end of the session either via the chat or by speaking with others — with or without your camera on.

This talk is not about graphic depictions of violence; it is about awareness, representation, and cultural impact, and about understanding and rethinking the images that continue to shape how we see women today.

All are welcome — all genders, ages, and backgrounds. Bring your curiosity, questions, and insights to this interactive discussion.

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To ensure accessibility, this talk is made available through a donation-based model. Your contributions help sustain this platform and make these tools accessible to a wider audience.