Human trafficking is one of the globe’s worst-kept secrets. Though hidden behind veils of secrecy, human trafficking can still be blatantly visible for those who seek to either exploit it or stop it. In Kay Chernush’s newest exhibition at the Chazen Museum of Art, “Bought & Sold: Voices of Human Trafficking,” the artist attempts to end this horrible practice by bringing light to the hidden world of human trafficking through photography.
The outdoor photographic exhibit displays dozens of boards, lined back-to-back, each with a single photo and personal story of a person affected by human trafficking. The arrangement of the exhibit itself, with its almost endless row of photos, helps to display the full immensity of the problem of human trafficking in the world today. In addition, Chernush purposely designed the exhibit to be outdoors to illustrate “that trafficking exists all around us, hidden in plain sight.”
The exhibit begins with several boards explaining statistics and figures of human trafficking worldwide, including both sex and labor trafficking. With maps and figures explaining specific statistics for each region of the world, the first board displays prominently that there are an estimated 27 million people living in slavery today. From the start, this exhibit was shocking to me. The boards continue to elaborate on the pervasiveness of sex and labor trafficking worldwide, especially in the United States. Another board displays the artist’s message for the exhibit and attempts to project the issue of human trafficking from the perspective of actual survivors.
The photos themselves in the exhibit are both beautifully captivating and solemnly heartbreaking. After walking the full length of the installation, I soon realized that I had tears in my eyes and a horrified expression of shock on my face. The style of photography is somewhat abstract, as the artist wanted to protect the identities of the victims. In addition, each piece is distinguished on its own board, with a personal, anonymous testimony from a survivor of trafficking. The personal stories truly add a sense of life and pain to each photograph, whereas on its own the piece would seem less powerful. Some of the most personally poignant pieces in the exhibit for me were “Chili Pepper Bath” and “4x Virgin.” “Chili Pepper Bath” is at first glance a confusing piece, portraying a doll floating in a pool of water and peppers. The adjacent story, however, brings the abstract piece to life, explaining how a young Nigerian girl of 10 years old was forced into prostitution. If her earnings were too low for the day, she was beaten and bathed in a scorching bath of chili peppers. This story alone made me feel a sense of immense loss and pain, and it shocked me that such absolute cruelty could even exist in the world. The piece “4x Virgin” is also especially heart-wrenching, displaying an abstract, neutral background covered in various stitches. The story in this photo is of a Cambodian sex slave who was only 10 years old when she was first trafficked throughout Cambodia. Because virgins received a higher price, she was dubbed a virgin four times. This story was absolutely disgusting. I could not even fathom such a young, innocent girl being subjected to this kind of mercilessness. These pieces are just a few of the moving photographs throughout the exhibit, and even more agonizing and expressive photos can be seen in the full exhibit.
I recommend all people visit “Bought & Sold: Voices of Human Trafficking.” Although saddening to see, the installation informs its viewers on the immense and pervasive problem of human trafficking in the world today. I myself learned valuable information, as well as a new understanding of how large of a problem human trafficking is around the globe today. Unfortunately, I also realize that many people will avoid seeing this exhibit due to its uncomfortable and unsettling nature, but it is necessary. People need to realize the full problem of human trafficking in the world today and Chernush’s pieces are a great beginning platform to learn more.
The exhibit is featured outside of the Chazen Museum of Art until April 25.
