A multi-media art exhibition examining the intersection between intimacy, power, and control which leads to intimate partner violence (IPV, or domestic violence).
“Through an artistic and transformative prism, the exhibition broadens the perception of intimate partner violence beyond a women’s issue into the social landscape that may shape such violence and explores the visitors’ own relationship to power and control. The museum experience presents positive aspects of surviving, along with raising awareness and promoting action towards eliminating IPV.
The premise of examining this complex subject in the format of an art exhibition is that our entire community—people affected directly or indirectly by intimate partner violence—may find it acceptable to walk into an art venue and interact with media that seeks to illuminate experiences in ways that may cause us to question what we think we know about IPV. The artists selected for the exhibition unveil layers of insight that could be best achieved through the power of the creative experience.”
Smadar Samson
Curator
The My Intimate Partner exhibition impactfully captures the essence of domestic abuse: power and control. The artists powerfully and in a dignified manner convey various perspectives and experiences felt by someone in an abusive relationship. The visuals are beautiful, the sounds haunting, but overall, the exhibit is about survival and hope.
Claudia Grasso
Deputy District Attorney
Executive Director, One Safe Place, The North County Family Justice Center
Resources
National:
CDC
National Domestic Violence Hotline
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
List of national organizations compiled by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services
State:
California Partnership to End Domestic Violence
Local Services:
WRC
CRC
Jessica Jaffa Coaching Institute
Center for Community Solutions
One Safe Place
Pictured: (Top) The Rosin Box Project Dance Studio, Free!; (Inline top) Carlos Castro Arias, Revelation; (Inline, bottom) Hugo Crosthwaitre, Domestick.
A picture is worth a thousand words...
For many that have experienced traumatic life events, traditional talk therapy is useful to help work through and eventually heal from the wounds of trauma. But for some, words are simply inaccessible, or inadequate, or even unsayable.
When words fail to adequately describe the complexity of what we feel as a result of relational trauma–the anguish, the pain, the grief, the diminishment and ever-present fear–we must find other ways to access and work through that trauma. One answer is found in the use of expressive ert.
In this critically important exhibition curated by Smadar Samson, you will see various artists depicting stages of intimate partner violence and its impact to the survivor. Exhibits such as this serve as a much-needed mirror giving voice for those who are suffering, and for those who have not gone through relational trauma, to help provide a deeper understanding of the survivor’s experience. It is a powerful testament to what a person goes through having experienced violence in an intimate relationship. It is a testament to the strength and courage of survivors who are in on their healing journey from such traumatic events as they find their way to live life anew.
Christopher Walsh, LMFT,
Clinical Director, crcncc.org
THANK YOU TO OUR EXHIBITION SPONSORS
Title Sponsors
Presenting Partner
