Would it be fairer, more compassionate and more open to dialogue? Or would the very ideas of power, leadership and social values change? These questions lie at the heart of What If Women Ruled the World?, a large-scale interactive project by world-renowned American artist Judy Chicago, which will be presented at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku as part of the Fly to Baku.
Sense the Future NOW programme, the organizers said. Blending art with social engagement, the project offers no ready-made answers. Instead, it creates a space for reflection and open dialogue.
Participants are invited to explore the role of women in society, equal opportunities, justice, leadership and the future we might build together. The project's story began in 2002 in China's Lugu Lake region. Two decades later, the questions posed by Judy Chicago have evolved into an international initiative that, since 2022, has invited people from around the world to share their perspectives and become part of a collective artistic statement.
The project's defining feature is that its content is created by the participants themselves. There is no single right answer, and every opinion becomes part of a much broader conversation about the future of society. At the heart of the project are 11 questions exploring gender equality, justice, leadership and the future.
Participants can record their answers in specially designed video booths or share their thoughts through an online platform. Their individual responses are then brought together digitally, forming a large-scale work of art made up of words, images and personal reflections. In this way, diverse voices, life experiences and visions of the future come together in a single artistic composition.
Here, viewers are no longer mere observers but become co-creators. Each new response adds another layer to the work, revealing fresh perspectives and showing just how differently people can approach the same questions. The project also places particular emphasis on combining traditional textile art with modern technology.
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