In the age of the #MeToo and “Time’s Up” movements, challenging a culture that has been far too complicit with rape culture has been at the forefront.
Within the past year, survivors of sexual assault have courageously stepped forward to share their experiences through written statements, social campaigns, and even art. In September of 2017, the students of The University of Kansas contributed their message of fighting back by creating an exhibit titled, “What Were You Wearing”. The project was originally created in 2013 by Jen Brockman, the university’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Education Center director, and Dr. Mary A. Wyandt-Hiebert, and has been featured across various college campus’ since its inception.
In a hauntingly quiet space filled with 18 different outfits, the artistic installation confronts the myth that a victim’s clothing necessitates the circumstances of his or her assault. From a six-year-old’s sundress to casual jogging clothes, each piece is accompanied by a description of the circumstances surrounding the individual assault. On KU’s campus, this exhibit was opened during the beginning of fall semester, when a significant number of campus assaults reportedly occur.
Today, the spirit of the exhibition continues to spread across the world.
In the Molenbeek district of Brussels, Belgium, the Maritime Community Centre has created their own display reflecting the “What Were You Wearing?” concept in the hope of visitors rethinking stereotypes based on sexual assault, and how our language can perpetuate such problematic ideas. Project manager, Delphine Goossens, explains that the exhibit seeks to create an empathetic and moving experience. “This installation allows participants to see themselves reflected in not only the outfits, but also in the experiences of the survivors,” she says.
Additionally, Goossens understands an important part of the movement to be the reversal of victim-shaming, as well as placing the accountability on the perpetrators themselves. “We still tell our young girls to pay attention to what they are wearing, but we still do not teach our boys not to abuse…We would like people to understand that every woman could wear what they want and they shouldn’t be attacked. That’s what the exhibition shows: no outfit can prevent rape.”