North Dakota State’s Memorial Union Gallery presents “The Clothesline Project: Bearing Witness to Violence Against Women.” The exhibition, in collaboration with NDSU Sexual Assault Prevention and Advocacy, NDSU Violence Prevention Educators and the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center, examines violence through installation and is currently on display and runs until April 7.
The Clothesline Project as a whole is a global program with the goal of addressing the issue of violence against women with 500 projects located around the world. The campaign began in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in 1990.
The project has grown since then to honor women survivors of personal violence as well as all victims of intimate violence. It continues to give survivors a voice to expose their tragedies and move into a triumphant recovery.
The Clothesline Project uses the image of a clothesline as an ironic gesture against traditional gender norms. Women would tell their story by decorating a shirt that would then be hung on the clothesline as an in-your-face strategy for all to see.
“This exhibition is an interesting intersection of social awareness and advocacy as well as introspection,” said Gallery coordinator Anthony Faris.
The exhibition uses T-shirts as a medium of expression for students, faculty, staff and members of the Fargo-Moorhead community for those who have been exposed to and personally affected by interpersonal violence.
“We invite our university community to come to the gallery and begin a discussion about how violence affects each of us,” Faris said.
The Clothesline Exhibition features a video installation examining confusion and secrets along with the T-shirts on display. The exhibition will also include a discussion lead by the NDSU Sexual Assault Prevention and Advocacy program.
The discussion will be held regarding the content of “The Clothesline Project” 5 p.m. Tuesday and the closing reception will be hosted by the Memorial Union Gallery 5-7 p.m. Thursday. All events are free to the public and all are invited to attend.