Barcelona unveils permanent memorial to victims of femicide 

Barcelona has unveiled a permanent memorial in the El Born neighbourhood honouring the victims of femicide.

L'Escletxa – The Crack – bears the names of around 150 women and children from around the world who were killed in femicides or acts of vicarious violence, in which children are targeted as a way of harming their mothers.

The installation takes the form of a mirrored crack running down a wall on Carrer d'en Tripó.

While Barcelona already has commemorative spaces such as Plaça del 25 de Novembre, this is the city's first permanent artistic memorial dedicated to victims of gender-based violence.

The project is the result of collaboration between the Plataforma Unitària Contra les Violències de Gènere (Unitary Platform Against Gender Violence) and feminist organisations, with the involvement of Barcelona Women's Council and the support of Barcelona City Council.

Deputy Mayor Raquel Gil told reporters that L'Escletxa honours the victims by making visible a "scar" that is often hidden.

The memorial seeks to ensure that the victims' voices and stories are not lost, and that they help sustain the fight against gender-based violence.

Teresa Vidal, a member of the board of the unitary platform, said the project aimed to raise awareness in society and encourage reflection on "things that are not being done well."

She also called for more resources and education, saying that "this scourge must end."

Esperanza Sánchez, another volunteer with the platform, described L'Escletxa as a monument "of remembrance, memory and hope," but also "a wake-up call" to public authorities to try to stop femicides.

A mirror in which everyone can see themselves

Artist Coral Vicent, of the Ilium collective, said L'Escletxa symbolises "the breaking of the patriarchal structure and system."

The mirror allows passers-by to see their own reflections because "everyone is a participant in and responsible for the wound" caused by gender-based violence.

She also explained that the names represent different forms of femicide, with the installation including women, children who were victims of vicarious violence and trans women.

The names were selected by the organisations involved and include cases dating back to Barcelona's first officially recorded femicide, the killing of Ana María Fábregas Escuder 20 years ago.

Vicent said the upper section of the installation has been left blank to convey "the brutality of femicides," which "never ends."

The artwork will be formally inaugurated during the week of November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The project cost €142,500 and was created with the support of the local residents' association and Barcelona's Municipal Institute of Urban Landscape.