On Rape And Institutional Failure by Laia Abril at ICP
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Open15 Oct - 11 Jan 2027
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Author
- Location New York, United States
In the exhibition centered on the second chapter of her ongoing project A History Of Misogyny, Laia Abril examines different forms of violence against women throughout history.
Overview
Weaving together images, compiled testimonies, archival materials, select objects, and installations with sound and video, the exhibition investigates how gender-based stereotypes, coupled with worldwide prejudices and misconceptions, have contributed to a systemic rape culture that persists today.
By focusing on institutions, Abril aims to avoid narratives of victim-blaming, instead addressing the on-going problem of social accountability that has allowed offenders and enablers alike to avoid justice. On Rape and Institutional Failure was first exhibited in 2020 in the wake of the initial, galvanizing allegations against Harvey Weinstein and other powerful men. While #MeToo has led to few sustained consequences and little systemic change, Abril offers a meaningful opportunity to address the long history of silencing victims and the transgenerational trauma that has developed as a result.
About The Artist
Laia Abril (b. 1986) is a research-based artist working across photography, text, video, and sound, focusing on biopolitics and gender issues. Her work is rooted in a politically engaged, process-driven methodology that employs strategies of forensic aesthetics and counter-narratives, interrogating dominant histories and the politics of representation.
Her work has been exhibited in over 25 countries and is held in collections such as Centre Pompidou, Photo Elysée, Fotomuseum Winterthur, MACBA, Reina Sofía, MNAC, and the V&A Museum. She has authored acclaimed books, including The Epilogue, Lobismuller, and the A History of Misogyny series: On Abortion, On Rape, and On Mass Hysteria.
She has received the Foam Paul Huf Award (Amsterdam), RPS Hood Medal (London), Aperture Best Book Award (NY/Paris), and Spain’s National Photography Award. Based in Switzerland, she is a senior lecturer at HSLU and is represented by Les Filles du Calvaire in Paris and Set Espai d’Art in Spain.
