Marge Simpson Cuts Hair: aleXsandro Palombo Iranian Women

The Cut is the name of the new work by artist aleXsandro Palombo. A fresco with strong symbolic value where Marge Simpson cuts her hair. And also the place where the work appeared is not accidental: the Consulate General of Iran in Milan.

The Cut, the cut, this is how aleXsandro Palombo titles his work in which he denounces a social problem which he glorifies. The artist uses his murals to convey a strong message of protest and solidarity. And in this case, he openly takes the side of Iranian women.

The cut @aleXsandro Palombo

The mural in which Marge Simpson cuts her signature hair appeared, far from accidental, outside the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Milan.

aleXsandro Palombo sides with Iranian women

The message expressed by the work of aleXsandro Palombo is clear. Openly deployed against the regime in Tehran, the work depicts Marge Simpson cutting off her signature hair to celebrate the courage of Iranian women. A tribute to Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old girl arrested and beaten to death by the police for wearing her hijab incorrectly and leaving a lock of hair uncovered. The obligation to wear the veil was indeed imposed in Iran by Ayatollah Khomeini during the Islamic revolution of 1979. Since then, women have been victims of social and political limitations. And as numerous cases testify, repression and human rights violations are widespread practices.

The cut @aleXsandro Palombo

As also recalled in the note detailing the new work of aleXsandro Palombo (contemporary pop artist whom we had the honor of interviewing), “Iran is one of the most censored countries in the world. From 2021, even female cartoon characters shown on Iranian television must wear the hijab.” In fact, cartoon heroines are seen as potential negative influences on young Iranians.

Marge Simpson disconnected from stereotypes

The choice to represent Marge Simpson in The Cut fresco is not accidental. Indeed, since 2012, the Iranian government has banned the marketing and distribution of The Simpsons because, according to the regime, “they erode the morale of Iranian youth”. But as aleXsandro Palombo commented: “If Marge Simpson is banned from entering Iran, nothing prevents her from expressing her disagreement with the regime in front of the Iranian consulate. Here we are in democracy, this universal value of the right to freedom for which the courageous Iranian people are fighting at the cost of their lives”.

The cut @aleXsandro Palombo

It is not the first time that a cartoon character and in particular Marge has been part of the artist’s street art works. For example, in 2013, changing the role assigned to her from a desperate housewife, Palombo wanted to send a message of emancipation by transforming her into a style icon. He presented the Style Icon Marge Simpson series exclusively on Vogue UK. In 2019, another work featuring Marge Simpson again: Marge Simpson in Mondrian is part of The Mondrian Revolution exhibition at the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Paris. These are just a few examples of the process of raising awareness and reporting mediated by a work, which represent the distinctive and characteristic trait of aleXsandro Palombo.