Third Abortion
“Third Abortion” is a narrative performance that invites the audience into the deeply personal and poignant memory of the artist’s third abortion, which took place in her home country of Iran.
When Badri became pregnant for the third time—like the two pregnancies before it, unwanted—she decided to miscarry again. The pregnancy, born out of an unofficial marriage, was a dangerous secret, raising red flags under Iran's strict gender apartheid. The medical system, shaped by religious and patriarchal oppression, offered no refuge. Like thousands of women in Islamic countries, Badri sought out the black market, navigating an underground world to terminate her unwanted pregnancy.
Through a carefully choreographed sequence, this performance reflects on the broader socio-political implications of unwanted pregnancy, bodily autonomy, and the silencing of women’s struggles in conservative societies like Iran—and parallels these conditions with those in the United States.
The performance begins with the artist stepping onto the stage dressed in a black outfit, symbolizing concealment and the societal pressure to hide unwanted pregnancies. At the height of the performance, during a vivid depiction of the abortion process, the black garment is removed, revealing a white outfit now soaked in blood. This transition represents the physical and emotional toll of abortion—pain and trauma exposed, yet still shrouded in silence.
As the performance concludes, the artist removes the bloody layer, once again donning the black outfit. This final gesture underscores the oppressive reality that, despite the trauma endured, women are forced to return to lives of concealment and pretense—hiding their scars under a veneer of normalcy.
The artist highlights the broader issue of women's experiences being neglected in both Iran and the United States, particularly concerning their bodies and emotions, and the lack of institutional support to address these fundamental needs.
Through this interactive performance of “ Third Abortion” , Badri dismantles silence, opening a space for collective healing and challenging oppressive masculine systems that confine women.
The symbolic use of objects such as sheets, towels, and feathers soaked in blood blurs the line between the body and object, between art and lived experience. These materials, marked by the trauma of the abortion, transcend their traditional roles to become potent symbols of pain, resistance, and reclamation.
"Third Abortion" is not just a performance—it is a living testimony that compels the audience to confront the stark realities of women’s lived experiences under an oppressive and patriarchy system.
