At a glance
Laia Abril shifts the narrative focus from individual crimes to the institutional structures and systemic failures that allow sexual violence to persist and survivors to be silenced.
Meet the artist
Why go
This layered installation provides a rigorous, non-sensationalist analysis of rape culture, focusing on how power structures protect perpetrators rather than relying on graphic imagery of the acts themselves.
You'll see
Compiled testimonies · Archival evidence · Sound and video works · Research-based installations
Pace of visit
The emotionally demanding testimonies and high density of research material require a slow, focused pace to fully absorb the work.
Don't miss
The integration of sound and video, which adds a visceral, human dimension to the artist's extensive forensic research.
Artlovers Tip
Given the textual density and the heavy subject matter, avoid scheduling this alongside other major shows; allow yourself time to process the research in the gallery.
Inside the exhibition
On Rape and Institutional Failure presents Laia Abril's forensic look at systemic violence at the International Center of Photography in Manhattan, New York. Rather than documenting individual physical acts, the artist uses a multidisciplinary approach to examine the societal frameworks that protect perpetrators and marginalize survivors. It is a stark, research-heavy environment composed of photography, text, and physical objects.
The presentation brings together a vast array of compiled testimonies, archival evidence, and multimedia installations. Abril's practice functions as a visual archive of institutional neglect, using sound and video to punctuate a dense collection of historical and contemporary records. The layout avoids sensationalism, opting instead for a clinical, documentary-style arrangement that invites visitors to piece together the mechanisms of rape culture through objects and archives.
This exhibition is a significant example of contemporary documentary practice, demonstrating how conceptual photography can address urgent human rights issues. By centering the critique on institutions rather than individual cases, Abril provides a new reading of how power operates. The result is a demanding but necessary installation that reinforces the International Center of Photography's commitment to socially engaged image-making.
Worth travelling for?
An important and responsibly framed exhibition for visitors interested in how contemporary documentary photography can address systemic human rights failures and institutional critique.
On Rape and Institutional Failure
Artlovers relevance
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