"People just don't want to know about this issue - it's hidden, it's criminal, it's perverse and yes, it's happening on our own doorstep. 'Journey' is a remarkable piece of collaborative, creative and confrontational art that profoundly challenges people's perspective. Come and see for yourself and tell us if you agree."
-Emma Thompson
If you are in New York this week, make sure to visit JOURNEY NYC. Produced by the Helen Bamber Foundation, this provocative art installation depicts the "journey" of trafficked women in the sex industry. Drawing from the experiences of a survivor named "Elena," Journey is told in seven stages (each stage is designed by an artist using the interior of a shipping container as their canvas). The seven stages include:
1. Hope
- Designed by Oscar-winning film designer Michael Howells
2. Journey
- Designed by sound engineer and music producer Mick Martin
3. Uniform
- Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell
4. Bedroom
- Coco de Mer founder Sam Roddick
5. Customer
- playwright Ewan Spencer and photographer Simon Stephens
6. Stigma
- Turner Prize winning sculptor Anish Kapoor
7. Resurrection
- Oscar-winning actor Emma Thompson, Royal Designer Mike Dempsey and V&A prize winning illustrator Laura Carlin
Exterior photograph by James Ostrer and drawings by Antony Micallef
From the Helen Bamber Foundation's website:
"Journey brings together creativity and the art of survival to show what it means to be bought and sold. It demonstrates how one woman's story can help us understand a subject that is as painful as it is incomprehensible. Trafficking is a crime without borders. Trafficked people become illegal, stigmatized and invisible. The state of New York is a major entry and transit hub, but authorities and agencies are pouring huge resources into supporting victims and prosecuting traffickers."
84-year-old Helen Bamber, a truly amazing woman who has worked tirelessly with victims for 60 years, will be on site along with Emma Thompson, Sam Roddick, and HBF co-founding Director, Dr. Mike Korzinski. After you make your way through JOURNEY, find a moment to talk with one (or all) of them. They are truly extraordinary people.
JOURNEY NYC can be found on Washington Place bet. Washington Square East and Greene St., NYC, from Tuesday, November 10th-Sunday, November 15th. Hours: Tues-Fri 12p-8p; Sat & Sun 10a-3p. A trip through the installation is free and the experience is priceless.