‘The Clothesline Project’ makes the impact of sexual assault tangible

The closing reception for the Memorial Union Gallery’s latest exhibit, “The Clothesline Project,” is taking place 5-7 p.m. April 4 to correspond with the SEXPO.

The multimedia exhibit opened March 25 in the Memorial Union Gallery in partnership with NDSU Sexual Assault Prevention and Advocacy, NDSU Violence Prevention Educators and the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center.

“The Clothesline Project” is a global event taking place annually at 500 locations worldwide.

The exhibit gives a voice to individuals of local communities affected by sexual assault and violence. The exhibit on display in the Memorial Union Gallery includes T-shirts with words and phrases tied to instances of sexual assault against Fargo-Moorhead students, staff, community members and faculty.

In addition to the T-shirts on display in the dimly lit back of the gallery, the virtual reality suites also contain programs under the theme of violence, control and awareness.

An audio component to the exhibit combines the sounds of a gong and whistle, which symbolize how often a sexual assault occurs.

Two mannequins in the front of the gallery sport two T-shirts, requiring you to lift the first shirt in order to view the one underneath. The discomfort we feel while lifting the shirt on a mannequin is meant to speak to issues of consent.