In the suggestive Duce Hall of the Ducal Palace in Sassari the exhibition was inaugurated “Stories in a whisper”, an artistic exhibition that intertwines memory, identity, and social reflection on the theme of gender violence. The initiative is open to visitors throughout the week with free entry, offering citizens an opportunity to meet and raise awareness on one of the most pressing social issues of our time.
The exhibition is part of the awareness program promoted by the “Progetto Aurora” anti-violence service, managed by the social cooperative Open door for the PLUS of the District of Sassari, Porto Torres, Sorso and Stintino, and in the wider project “Free.Da – Free from violence”, supported by the Foundation with the South as part of the second call for proposals dedicated to combating gender-based violence. This is the only project from Sardinia selected for this year's national funding.
The Free.Da project and the fight against gender-based violence
The project Free.Da – Free from violence represents a complex network of interventions aimed at combating and preventing gender violence in two areas of Sardinia: province of Sassari and the territory of the Marghine-PlanargiaTwo anti-violence services operate at the heart of the program: Aurora Project, based in Sassari, and the Macomer Anti-Violence Center, currently managed by the Consorzio Network Etico Italia together with the social cooperatives “Les Delices” and “Isola Verde”.
Financed with a total investment of 270 thousand euros and started in March 2023 with an expected duration of 36 monthsThe project involves a broad partnership of public bodies, universities, associations, and third-sector organizations. Partners include: ANCI Sardinia, the University of Sassari, the Order of Journalists of Sardinia, Sardinian Homosexual Movement, the association WeWomen 2005the social cooperative Edupé and the consortium Sol.Co Nuoro.
Concrete support for women victims of violence
One of the main objectives of Free.Da is to strengthen assistance services for women victims of violence and minors involved in child abuse contexts. witnessed violenceThe project allowed, among other actions, the strengthening of the Progetto Aurora Anti-Violence Center, with the extension of weekly opening hours from 23 to 45 hours and the inclusion of new professional figures, including a social worker.
Thanks to the project funds, the new website for the anti-violence service, online from November 2025, which represents an information and support tool for those seeking help or wanting to know about the services available in the area.
Free.Da has also promoted courses of language training, IT training, and soft skills development, aimed at women supported by anti-violence services and people who frequent the offices of the Anti-Discrimination Center of the Sardinian Homosexual Movement. At the same time, programs have been activated social and work placement internships for ten women involved in the process of exiting violence.
Educational activities and community awareness
In addition to direct support for victims, the project includes numerous awareness-raising initiatives aimed at the community. These include: communication campaigns, training activities for professionals and local administrators and educational programs in schools of every order and degree.
Since 2024, several schools in the province of Sassari and the Marghine-Planargia area have participated in the educational programs promoted by the project. The goal is to promote a culture based on respect for differences, education on affectivity and prevention of violence, involving students, teachers and families.
The communication campaign also includes the Free.Da Card, which brings together local services to support victims of violence and discrimination, and an informational sticker distributed in numerous businesses and meeting places. The campaign's central message – “Embrace listening, unity in discussion” – recalls the importance of solidarity and collective support.
Silvia Pazzola's Art: Personal Memory and Collective History
The heart of the exhibition is the artist's work Silvia Pazzola, photographer and visual artist born in Sassari in 1985 and now resident in Stintino. Graduated in scenography at the Academy of Fine Arts "Mario Sironi" in Sassari, Pazzola recently completed her master's degree in Post-Photography Visual at the Studio Marangoni Foundation in Florence.
With “Stories in a whisper” The artist constructs a visual narrative that begins with an intimate, family dimension and evolves into a collective reflection on the female condition. The works emerge from a symbolic gesture: the clothes and underwear that belonged to the artist's grandmother, into which small sheets of paper containing thoughts, dreams and wishes transcribed by the woman throughout her life were sewn.
Through this artistic narrative, Pazzola gives voice to a woman who imagined an existence beyond the social roles imposed by her time. The words preserved in the fabrics thus become silent testimonies that tell aspirations, limits and hopes of the women of yesterday, in which many women today can still recognize themselves.
An artistic journey already presented in Italy and Sardinia
The exhibition has already had several stages. In 2025 was presented in Florence, at the Fondazione Studio Marangoni, and subsequently in some locations in Sardinia, including Osilo e Lodine. In Sassari the exhibition now arrives for the first time in an institutional location, after a brief preview hosted in November 2025 at the concept store “Sorè” on the occasion of the International day against violence against women.
The role of the Aurora Project in the area
The exhibition is part of the awareness-raising process promoted by Aurora Project, one of the main local outposts in the fight against gender violence in northern Sardinia. The service, active since 2000, offers counseling and support to women victims of domestic violence, abuse and stalking, as well as their minor sons and daughters.
Accredited by the Sardinia Region and connected to the National Anti-Violence Number 1522The service guarantees free, anonymous assistance to women seeking help. The Anti-Violence Center's multidisciplinary team—comprised of psychologists, social workers, and educators—supports women in their journeys to escape violence through psychological support, legal counseling, and independent living and employment programs.
Over the years the service has collected over 3.600 reports, with hundreds of personalized programs activated to help women rebuild their autonomy and confidence.
The exhibition as a tool for social awareness
The "Storie Sottovoce" exhibition therefore represents much more than an artistic event. Through art, memory, and personal testimony, the exhibition invites the community to reflect on the cultural roots of gender violence and the importance of building a social network capable of listening, support and prevention.
The exhibition will be open to visitors 9 from March to 14, during the opening hours of the Sala Duce of the Doge's Palace: from Monday to Friday from 10 to 13 and from 16 to 19, while on Saturdays only in the morning. Admission is free.
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