0:00:13.120,0:00:16.219 [Music] 0:00:17.150,0:00:21.100 chances are high that you know this lady 0:00:21.100,0:00:25.280 Lady Justice is the main image [br]of justice we have 0:00:25.280,0:00:30.170 A blindfolded woman [br]with scales and a sword 0:00:30.170,0:00:34.620 She is blindfolded because she has[br]decided not to see 0:00:34.620,0:00:38.109 whom she has in front of her. 0:00:38.109,0:00:42.870 With her scales it's nice to measure [br]pain crime and fit that to punishment. 0:00:42.870,0:00:46.389 With her sword she delivers [br]her punishment, 0:00:46.389,0:00:49.350 monopolizing its violence. 0:00:49.350,0:00:51.999 Is this adjust image? 0:00:51.999,0:01:00.089 how can we think about justice [br]through images? 0:00:56.040,0:01:03.000 these are the questions [br]I will ask here today. 0:01:00.089,0:01:06.298 As a woman the accessories of Lady Justice 0:01:03.000,0:01:09.840 suffocate me. That might be because I'm 0:01:06.299,0:01:13.890 not a lady. Maybe it's because I'm not 0:01:09.840,0:01:20.100 dressed to kill. In my talk today my 0:01:13.890,0:01:23.840 companions will be women real women let 0:01:20.100,0:01:27.240 us consider for a moment the blindfold. 0:01:23.840,0:01:31.499 If justice was really blind as she 0:01:27.240,0:01:33.780 claims to be then my question: is why our 0:01:31.499,0:01:36.710 prisons filled mostly with blacks 0:01:33.780,0:01:40.590 foreigners in the poorest among us? 0:01:36.710,0:01:44.339 I think she is blind in order not to see 0:01:40.590,0:01:46.679 the injustices imposed in her name. Not 0:01:44.340,0:01:50.929 to see the pain and meaninglessness 0:01:46.679,0:01:54.170 created by ugly institutions, our prisons. 0:01:50.929,0:01:59.429 Deep down a woman in fact, this lady 0:01:54.170,0:02:02.490 cannot bear to see. When trying to do 0:01:59.429,0:02:07.619 justice when claiming to do justice our 0:02:02.490,0:02:10.590 eyes must be open wide. The men and women 0:02:07.619,0:02:14.130 in our hands are not abstract but real 0:02:10.590,0:02:17.940 human beings. They have been babies with 0:02:14.130,0:02:21.690 a crystal face playful children and have 0:02:17.940,0:02:24.550 grown up men and women among us. They are 0:02:21.690,0:02:31.030 called Emily, Antonio, 0:02:24.550,0:02:34.770 Philip. Brunella. In 1931 a woman called 0:02:31.030,0:02:38.770 Margaret Wilson on her own initiative 0:02:34.770,0:02:41.530 curiosity and interest and also concern 0:02:38.770,0:02:46.030 writes a book called "The crime of 0:02:41.530,0:02:49.960 punishment". She was not an expert she is 0:02:46.030,0:02:53.550 just a woman. She writes this about her 0:02:49.960,0:02:56.710 book she says : "This is a woman's book and 0:02:53.550,0:03:00.370 therefore we shall be is shamelessly 0:02:56.710,0:03:03.970 women as we please and that means we 0:03:00.370,0:03:07.180 shall not consider the law or justice or 0:03:03.970,0:03:09.250 safety or any other abstraction at a 0:03:07.180,0:03:12.550 distance from the meaning they have on 0:03:09.250,0:03:17.620 the lives of men and women, boys and 0:03:12.550,0:03:21.550 girls we love." Lady Justice especially 0:03:17.620,0:03:24.990 proud of her scales we are obsessed with 0:03:21.550,0:03:30.430 the scales but our obsession is 0:03:24.990,0:03:33.370 presumptuous. A very simple tool of crime 0:03:30.430,0:03:37.870 and punishment in time and space shows 0:03:33.370,0:03:40.630 how ridiculous our assumptions are. The 0:03:37.870,0:03:41.730 same crime today, it's not even taken 0:03:40.630,0:03:43.900 very seriously, 0:03:41.730,0:03:46.600 yesterday it was punished with death 0:03:43.900,0:03:49.720 penalty. I'm talking about things like 0:03:46.600,0:03:53.410 killing chicken, cutting trees, stealing 0:03:49.720,0:03:58.360 horses, being a witch, being a witch today 0:03:53.410,0:04:01.690 is even fashionable. The same crime such 0:03:58.360,0:04:06.910 as drug use in Norway is punished with a 0:04:01.690,0:04:09.459 fine in Singapore with death penalty. We 0:04:06.910,0:04:13.420 try for accuracy and precision but 0:04:09.459,0:04:15.910 cannot find it. In fact geometrical rigor 0:04:13.420,0:04:20.858 and human activity do not go together 0:04:15.910,0:04:23.500 well. The algebra of suffering, writes 0:04:20.858,0:04:28.060 Anna Messuti, in her book "Time as 0:04:23.500,0:04:32.740 punishment", is : minus times minus equals 0:04:28.060,0:04:36.190 more. Negative times negative equals 0:04:32.740,0:04:37.960 positive. But do we really believe that 0:04:36.190,0:04:40.530 in order to get rid of 0:04:37.960,0:04:47.219 suffering we need to add additional 0:04:40.530,0:04:49.929 suffering? The sword of justice delivers 0:04:47.220,0:04:53.949 punishment but does not keep a distance 0:04:49.930,0:04:56.530 from it. For this reason the history of 0:04:53.949,0:05:04.150 punishment is not less cruel that the 0:04:56.530,0:05:07.330 history of crime. So is this a just image? 0:05:04.150,0:05:12.609 How can we think about alternative ideas 0:05:07.330,0:05:15.969 of justice through images? Since 10 years 0:05:12.610,0:05:18.580 I work on an alternative idea of justice 0:05:15.970,0:05:21.820 called restorative justice. Restorative 0:05:18.580,0:05:27.120 justice challenges Lady Justice in all 0:05:21.820,0:05:31.120 its elements: blindfold, scales and sword. 0:05:27.120,0:05:34.449 Its eyes and ears are open wide to 0:05:31.120,0:05:37.180 listen to and see the voices and faces 0:05:34.449,0:05:39.849 of those that have been harmed and those 0:05:37.180,0:05:41.949 that have harmed. It does not have the 0:05:39.849,0:05:45.729 arrogance to think we can measure pain 0:05:41.949,0:05:48.370 and equate it to punishment. It deals 0:05:45.729,0:05:51.389 with the irreversibility of human action: 0:05:48.370,0:05:55.270 what has been done cannot be undone. 0:05:51.389,0:05:57.759 There is no equality of pain. Crime and 0:05:55.270,0:06:01.690 punishment are not interchangeable. We 0:05:57.759,0:06:06.310 must move on from this. Restorative 0:06:01.690,0:06:11.710 justice tries to do right from 0:06:06.310,0:06:13.469 wrong. It keeps crime at a distance says 0:06:11.710,0:06:16.388 Claudia Mazzucato. 0:06:13.469,0:06:19.060 It can meet violence but does not 0:06:16.389,0:06:21.240 replicate it, does not use it and 0:06:19.060,0:06:24.580 therefore does not legitimize it. 0:06:21.240,0:06:27.370 Answering evil with evil might seem the 0:06:24.580,0:06:31.020 most obvious but it is not the best way 0:06:27.370,0:06:31.020 to establish an equilibrium. 0:06:32.130,0:06:37.389 Claudia Mazzucato is one of the 0:06:34.750,0:06:39.270 mediators that has created very 0:06:37.389,0:06:41.699 important encounters between 0:06:39.270,0:06:45.549 perpetrators of political violence in 0:06:41.699,0:06:47.830 1970s in Italy and their victims. The 0:06:45.550,0:06:51.310 best argument against violence she 0:06:47.830,0:06:54.099 argues is a critique of violence. 0:06:51.310,0:06:56.490 The sword of justice cuts between victims 0:06:54.100,0:06:59.800 and offenders innocent and guilty, 0:06:56.490,0:07:03.240 partisans of one and the other, relevant 0:06:59.800,0:07:06.190 from irrelevant fact. As a mediator 0:07:03.240,0:07:12.340 Mazzucato likens her word to another 0:07:06.190,0:07:14.800 image that of the plough it is in the 0:07:12.340,0:07:17.619 nature of the plough to work for many 0:07:14.800,0:07:20.770 years it is in the nature of the sword 0:07:17.620,0:07:23.650 to work but one minute it takes years 0:07:20.770,0:07:28.120 and years to nourish and maintain human 0:07:23.650,0:07:30.310 lives and human relations but is the 0:07:28.120,0:07:34.390 plough a good image of restorative 0:07:30.310,0:07:38.590 justice claudia matsukata herself finds 0:07:34.390,0:07:41.140 anchorage in another image this is a 0:07:38.590,0:07:44.229 logo of the Constitutional Court in 0:07:41.140,0:07:48.849 South Africa it was made by a woman 0:07:44.230,0:07:50.530 artist called Carolyn Perron this image 0:07:48.850,0:07:52.930 you see in this image you see people 0:07:50.530,0:07:57.520 sheltered under the branches of the tree 0:07:52.930,0:08:00.010 to symbolize a justice that protects it 0:07:57.520,0:08:02.710 is bait based on traditional African 0:08:00.010,0:08:05.200 communities where people were literally 0:08:02.710,0:08:08.190 sitting under a tree to discuss their 0:08:05.200,0:08:11.080 disputes and conflict through dialogue 0:08:08.190,0:08:13.680 the image also tries to represent 0:08:11.080,0:08:16.960 another concept the concept of Ubuntu 0:08:13.680,0:08:19.780 this concept refers to humanity but 0:08:16.960,0:08:22.719 humanity made possible only through the 0:08:19.780,0:08:25.539 existence of other people in fact in the 0:08:22.720,0:08:28.900 images you will notice that dark and 0:08:25.540,0:08:31.030 light are distinct the the branches and 0:08:28.900,0:08:33.730 the people in a way artistic black black 0:08:31.030,0:08:36.698 and white but on another level you will 0:08:33.730,0:08:39.850 see that they are not distinct you do 0:08:36.700,0:08:45.430 not see where does one start and where 0:08:39.850,0:08:47.320 does the other end in my work in 0:08:45.430,0:08:49.660 restorative justice I have been very 0:08:47.320,0:08:53.110 inspired by scholars like Claudia 0:08:49.660,0:08:55.980 matsukata but also others who feel the 0:08:53.110,0:08:59.230 need to step outside their narrow field 0:08:55.980,0:09:02.980 these scholars find anchorage in arts 0:08:59.230,0:09:05.110 and literature I think in our field we 0:09:02.980,0:09:07.600 need contamination we need to step 0:09:05.110,0:09:12.910 outside otherwise we remain a closed 0:09:07.600,0:09:15.459 system this image was made by street 0:09:12.910,0:09:17.680 artist here in lovin and it refers very 0:09:15.459,0:09:20.949 clearly to what I think a closed system 0:09:17.680,0:09:25.719 is listening to oneself only speaking to 0:09:20.950,0:09:29.140 oneself only if we ignore arts and 0:09:25.720,0:09:32.230 imagination we lack the tools that will 0:09:29.140,0:09:35.350 give us the necessary inspiration to 0:09:32.230,0:09:37.810 understand what do we do why do we do it 0:09:35.350,0:09:42.040 and how can we imagine things being 0:09:37.810,0:09:44.319 otherwise but our brains are not 0:09:42.040,0:09:47.800 instruments of representation they are 0:09:44.320,0:09:49.720 instrument of action this is the reason 0:09:47.800,0:09:52.209 why I'm very conscious of the importance 0:09:49.720,0:09:55.630 of action and therefore I do like art 0:09:52.209,0:09:58.239 that acts that moves that touches that 0:09:55.630,0:10:01.420 represents and shows another image of 0:09:58.240,0:10:04.839 what is possible I want to talk to you 0:10:01.420,0:10:08.170 about another woman this our Dean Ian 0:10:04.839,0:10:12.010 artist Mary Ally she died four years ago 0:10:08.170,0:10:14.439 at 98 93 years old I was very lucky to 0:10:12.010,0:10:20.230 meet her two years before she died in an 0:10:14.440,0:10:22.959 Italian in Sardinia in 1981 Maria led me 0:10:20.230,0:10:27.040 the truly unique piece of art in her 0:10:22.959,0:10:29.229 hometown in ullas I for her art work she 0:10:27.040,0:10:32.920 started talking to the people in town 0:10:29.230,0:10:35.019 listening to their stories among the old 0:10:32.920,0:10:38.290 stories told one story caught her 0:10:35.019,0:10:41.800 imagination The Legend of the blue 0:10:38.290,0:10:45.760 ribbon the legend told of a little girl 0:10:41.800,0:10:49.630 who was in a cave with two older men and 0:10:45.760,0:10:51.550 the cave falls down the girl holds on to 0:10:49.630,0:10:54.459 a blue ribbon she sees in the sky and 0:10:51.550,0:10:57.910 gets saved the men do not believe her 0:10:54.459,0:11:00.399 and die under the cave now the legend is 0:10:57.910,0:11:02.890 built on a real event that took place in 0:11:00.399,0:11:06.149 olice I where when the mountain that 0:11:02.890,0:11:10.180 stands on top of the town fell down and 0:11:06.149,0:11:12.880 caused a tragedy it was this legend and 0:11:10.180,0:11:15.640 the imagination of the little girl that 0:11:12.880,0:11:18.939 gave the artist the right tools to start 0:11:15.640,0:11:21.430 her project merchants from 0:11:18.940,0:11:24.850 all over Italy donated meters and meters 0:11:21.430,0:11:28.900 of blue fabric she asked the inhabitants 0:11:24.850,0:11:31.900 to cut long blue ribbons out of the 0:11:28.900,0:11:37.630 fabric of course some just watched 0:11:31.900,0:11:40.060 because some people were very hesitant 0:11:37.630,0:11:45.070 to to participate and but most people 0:11:40.060,0:11:47.949 did especially children did once the 0:11:45.070,0:11:51.670 blue ribbons were ready she asked the 0:11:47.950,0:11:57.220 inhabitants to tie the town into itself 0:11:51.670,0:12:00.060 tie every house to each other as people 0:11:57.220,0:12:02.470 started to do this a problem emerged 0:12:00.060,0:12:05.380 people were telling her they did not 0:12:02.470,0:12:08.550 want to tie the house to the house of 0:12:05.380,0:12:13.330 the neighbor because there were enemies 0:12:08.550,0:12:16.089 the artists worked with this resistance 0:12:13.330,0:12:21.090 and ask people to tie the houses anyhow 0:12:16.090,0:12:24.940 but when there was friendship and to tie 0:12:21.090,0:12:27.220 loaves of bread into the nodes or put 0:12:24.940,0:12:29.650 colorful clothes to symbolize it also 0:12:27.220,0:12:32.530 reminding us that friendship is rare and 0:12:29.650,0:12:37.750 she told them to put nothing where there 0:12:32.530,0:12:40.390 was no friendship now as the houses were 0:12:37.750,0:12:44.230 being tied into each other a helicopter 0:12:40.390,0:12:48.449 flew in float flew in and tied the whole 0:12:44.230,0:12:54.750 town to its mountain in order to make 0:12:48.450,0:12:57.970 peace with it now I know this image 0:12:54.750,0:13:00.880 belongs to an art museum and not to a 0:12:57.970,0:13:03.490 courthouse I also know that it's very 0:13:00.880,0:13:06.580 impractical to tie our courthouses with 0:13:03.490,0:13:10.839 blue ribbons but I want this image to 0:13:06.580,0:13:14.130 make us think think of what justice that 0:13:10.839,0:13:17.620 restores and repairs would look like I 0:13:14.130,0:13:20.290 think time has come for Lady Justice to 0:13:17.620,0:13:25.089 grow up and become a woman a 93 years 0:13:20.290,0:13:27.730 old woman is this how can how can we 0:13:25.089,0:13:29.170 think about just images probably we have 0:13:27.730,0:13:30.880 to think a little bit further about that 0:13:29.170,0:13:31.300 but let me leave you with one thing 0:13:30.880,0:13:32.970 tonight 0:13:31.300,0:13:36.060 when you go home 0:13:32.970,0:13:38.970 tonight tomorrow please look and think 0:13:36.060,0:13:42.689 about images of justice when you go into 0:13:38.970,0:13:44.250 a courthouse bow in respect in front of 0:13:42.690,0:13:48.180 the statue of Lady Justice 0:13:44.250,0:13:49.290 but look further for alternatives I hope 0:13:48.180,0:13:52.589 our courthouses 0:13:49.290,0:13:55.560 and our municipalities will lounge 0:13:52.590,0:13:58.950 public forums inviting artists students 0:13:55.560,0:14:02.969 and others to work together and imagine 0:13:58.950,0:14:04.980 a justice otherwise and if it can be 0:14:02.970,0:14:06.740 imagined it can be done 0:14:04.980,0:14:15.360 thank you 0:14:06.740,0:14:15.360 [Applause]