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Congo/Women
Congo/Women
The average lifespan of a woman in the Democratic Republic of Congo is 46 years.
Congo/Women is a traveling photography exhibit highlighting the beauty and strength of the girls and women of the Democratic Republic of Congo who are currently battling an unprecedented wave of gender based violence and a lack of essential medical care. Featuring the work of Lynsey Addario, Marcus Bleasdale, Ron Haviv, and James Nachtwey the installation weaves large portraits of these women and contextual images of the culture and history of the region together into an environment which describes the full complexity of this challenge. Video and audio testimony accompanies the exhibit, allowing viewers to gain and in depth understanding of the crisis. Pregnancy as a result of rape, obstetric and traumatic fistula, HIV infection, permanent reproductive health damage, and death will be discussed, as well as the inevitable societal stresses caused by such atrocities. Curated from a combination of recently taken photography and newly commissioned work – particularly of women and girls recovering from violence – the exhibit will provide a comprehensive view of the issue and its possible solutions.
The exhibit is accompanied by a website which will provide immediate actions that visitors who view the exhibit can take to provide support. Coordination of these actions is being done with the Enough Project’s Raise Hope for Congo campaign. In addition, visitors to the site and to the exhibition can post their own portraits on our visual petition, providing an international demonstration of the growing support that will be raised. Media attention to opening events will be promoted by local connections of each institution and the national support of human rights groups.
Congo/Women can be loaned by interested venues for an affordable cost. The format will be flexible and our curators will work with each institution to help them present the imagery in an appropriate fashion. We will print multiple copies of the show in several languages so that it may be in highly active circulation through 2010.
Congo/Women is produced in partnership with Jane M. Saks, Executive Director the Ellen Stone Belic Institute of the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media, Columbia College Chicago.
Support in part is generously provided by UNFPA, the Humanity United Fund, and Leadership donors of the Ellen Stone Belic Institute of the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media, Columbia College Chicago.
Exhibition Design by Art Works Projects and Real Design Associates/RDANY.COM with thanks to Margot Perman and Jürgen Riehle of RDANY for Identity and Graphic Design.
EVENTS:
Congo/Women – St. Petersburg, FL
Congo/Women at The Poynter Institute (in cooperation with Eckerd College)
Where: 801 Third Street South, St. Petersburg, Florida
When: Monday, January 11, 2010 at 8:30 pm until
Saturday, February 20, 2010 at 11:30 pm
Links:
www.congowomen.org
www.colum.edu/institutewomengender
www.unfpa.org
www.raisehopeforcongo.org