Presence

In most cities, women are severely underrepresented in the urban landscape—a far cry from gender parity. In Vienna, about 90% of all places and streets named after people bear the names of men. Präsenz brings Viennese locations named after women into view and closer to the awareness of the viewer. Similarly to what happens in our perception while we traverse public space, the 397 areas bearing women’s names flash up on the screen one at a time, a single shot dedicated to each. The countdown effect in these shots, which begin at the periphery and move towards the city centre, draws attention to the significance and distribution of places named after women. Präsenz is a kind of inventory, a contribution to an active culture of remembrance and gender equality as well as a critical examination of the representation of women in public space, which can also symbolically stand for other areas of society and reflect the reality of other cities.