The red umbrella as a symbol of sex workers rights came from Tadej Pogačar’s "CODE:RED" at the 49th Venice Biennale in 2001. Read the press release here.

"CODE:RED is a multidisciplinary, multimedia, collaboration project, which discusses and researches the informal economy models, self-organisation, global sex work and global trafficking.

The economy of sex work is a vital source of income for numerous segments of the population on all continents, segments that are excluded from the dominant economy. Most commonly the underprivileged social groups (women, children), who symbolically and realistically live on the boarder or outside of society and are stigmatised and without any basic human rights are forced into prostitution.

When we discuss globalisation, we most often talk about the hyper-mobility of capital and services, the influence that new technologies have on the production, distribution and communication and less about the other side of the same phenomenon: the new international division of work, the new forms of slavery, new gender divisions, etc., which are a consequence of the economic demands that the developed world has from the third world countries [. . .]

CODE:RED encompases various forms of joint operation with experts, scientists and activist groups, from research, activation, self-help to public maniestations, actions, exhibitions, etc. The project takes place within and outside the art context. P.A.R.A.S.I.T.E. Museum of Contemporary Art co-operates at these actions according to the principles of teamwork and establishes equal partner relations with groups and individuals. The project CODE:RED actively intervenes in the existing conditions of things and searches for new ways and forms to change them. It also opens the artistic space for dealing with the issue and changing social, economic and political issues." - Read more via Tadej Pogačar and the P.A.R.A.S.I.T.E. Museum of Contemporary Art.