Saturday, May 17, 2008

From the World Bank:

Borderless Captivity
Exploitation and Human Trafficking
Photographic Exhibition and Symposium

The World Bank Art Program in partnership with the World Bank Human Development Network and with co-sponsorship from the United Nations’ Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Ricky Martin Foundation, Free the Slaves and International Justice Mission will host an exhibition on exploitation and human trafficking. The exhibition will raise awareness about exploitation and human trafficking as they relate to sex tourism and forced labor.
Photographs by Kay Chernush, Howard G. Buffett, Karen Robinson, Pete Pattisson and Ted Haddock.

About the Exhibit:

The Borderless Captivity: Exploitation and Human Trafficking exhibition is designed as visual narrative to tell a story not of only abuse and despair, but of education, hope and redemption. The exhibition includes photographs, documentaries, and a symposium featuring renowned experts and former victims who will discuss the horrors of exploitation and human trafficking.

Borderless Captivity grew out of a smaller exhibition series sponsored by the Art Program, In the Eyes of a Woman. In the Eyes of a Woman features works of ten women photographers who live, work, or were born in one of the World Bank’s client countries, and whose work reflect the Art Program’s goal of giving a face to the Bank’s work in development.

An integral part of Borderless Captivity is the contribution of Kay Chernush (In the Eyes of a Woman photographer). Chernush’s images on human trafficking and exploitation are on display in the Main Complex Front Lobby. The series is dedicated to women and children affected by exploitation.

Curating an exhibition means orchestrating the works so that the voices of the artist and his/her subjects are heard. This requires understanding the source of each voice. Exhibitions also each have their own “sound.” Some whisper to you, some intellectually or aesthetically flirt with you, and some even challenge you with a dialogue. With human trafficking and exploitation, we suddenly found ourselves hearing the drama of a Greek chorus; Some voices were screaming, some wept silent tears, and some had the laugh of folly.

In preparing for this exhibition, we looked at hundreds of photos, documents and testimonies. Some stories made us clench our teeth, while others haunted our dreams. In returning to the images, we felt impelled to communicate with these victims… compelled to offer a drop of water to extinguish the flames of despair these stories told.

Who amongst us has not experienced misery — as if there were no hope for the future? We are fortunate enough to find the understanding and the eventual space to move on. Most exploited people do not. Their wounds are apparent not only in the form of burned hands and raped bodies, but in false promises, atrocious living conditions and in the arduous work associated with exploitation. As you view these faces, ask yourself “What would I do?” “How would I feel?” “Would I deserve to be free?”

The exhibit will remain on display until May 30, 3008.

Here is the brochure for the event.

Contact Information: Jesse Bisogni
Telephone: 202-458-7320
Email: jbisogni@worldbank.org

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