My Body Is a War Zone: Exhibitions and Testimonies as a Tool for Change

Abstract

This article has evolved from an exhibition produced with PROOF: Media for Social Justice entitled “My Body Is a War Zone,” which was part of a larger project (“Legacy of Rape”) consisting of stories from women in four postconflict regions. Drawing on interviews conducted with women in Santa Marta, Colombia, in May 2012 and January 2017, I explore the use of testimony, photography, and exhibition as a means of empowering survivors to become activists. Using the Colombian example, I argue that such exhibitions can transform national and public dialogue by engaging audiences on a personal and emotional level.