A bar in Eskişehir, a Turkish college town heavily involved in the recent protests, has decided to update the “men” and “women” signs on their bathroom doors. On the left is the famous “Woman in a red dress,” who was pepper-sprayed by riot cops, saturated really, yet refused to move an inch.

On the right, dancer Erdem Gündüz, known more famously as “standing man.” Similarly stoic Gündüz stood for eight hours in Taksim Square, silent and immobile. The theme of resilience is the strength of the iconography, and it’s certainly something to boost the morale after a few drinks, when our maudlin tendencies to despair are at their most insidious.

The artist has requested anonymity, so the art remains a discreet proclamation of solidarity, and a reminder that wry dissent is still alive and well in Turkey. Below, you can see the original photographs.
 

 

 
Via Feminist Philosophers