Iranian Women's Voices Amplified Through Nationwide Poster Campaign in France

In March 2023, four Parisian institutions—the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, Palais de Tokyo, École des Beaux-Arts de Paris, and Musée de la Porte Dorée—launched the "Femme Vie Liberté" project, displaying 100 posters on their facades until the end of the month. The posters, designed primarily by Iranian creators including diaspora figures like Marjane Satrapi, support the ongoing protests for women's freedom in Iran that began after the death of Mahsa Amini on September 16, 2022. The École des Beaux-Arts de Paris produced 10,000 risograph prints, distributed free at the institutions, with a kit available for non-commercial reproduction. The initiative expanded to other French venues such as Centre Pompidou, Le Point du Jour in Cherbourg, and Beaux-Arts de Lille, as well as across the Tram network in Île-de-France. The posters draw on Iran's rich calligraphic and graphic tradition, with Persian script lending visual dynamism. The project also highlights gender inequity in Iranian graphic design: a 2020 book on Iranian graphic design included no women, prompting them to create a website showcasing their work. The campaign continues to spread via Instagram (@iranianwomenofgraphicdesign) and hashtags #Femmevieliberté, #ZanZendegiAzadi, and #Womanlifefreedom.