Refuge of Violence is a collaborative multimedia arts project exploring intimate partner violence curated by Jenniffer J Thusing and K. Hannah Friedman.

Individuals with personal experiences of domestic or intimate partner violence have been paired with artists to create individual pieces – including sculptures, paintings, poems, songs, and video. These pieces have been brought together in one structure.

Each viewer will move along their own private path, choosing how these separate narratives combine to tell a larger story. The viewer might listen to a song on headphones, or open an envelope to read a poem. By empowering spectators to create their own story out of the pieces we offer, the gallery space itself will become a refuge for people who have lived through or witnessed violence.

This project aims to break the silence shrouding the issue of domestic violence. The process of pairing storytellers with artists is vital to this project. Even artists who have their own histories with intimate violence have been asked to work in pairs. This is where conversations begin. To complete the first cycle of collaborations, the curators invite the public to join in the dialogue.

This interactive installation invites viewers to participate in many ways – even by making their own art pieces.

Join this first gallery show, help begin the next conversation.

For more information, please visit http://www.refugeofviolence.org.