Call It Out is an experiential installation conceived for Hollaback!, the world’s leading organization fighting street harassment via education, awareness campaigns, and ally training.
CONTENT WARNING: This project addresses topics of sexual violence and violence against marginalized communities. Its content may be disturbing or triggering to some viewers. Please take care and proceed with caution.
Street harassment is more than its stereotypical depiction in popular culture.
Anyone can be a victim or a perpetrator.
The good news: that means anyone can be a good bystander.
In our research, we realized our male family members and friends struggled to identify public aggression towards women, despite considering themselves feminist progressives. To become good bystanders, we must be able to identify attacks as they happen.
Good bystanders safely intervene in support of the victim.
Call It Out is a traveling exhibition dedicated to fighting street harassment with bystander education.
Guests will experience an outdoor walk in victims' shoes, culminating in an exhibit with real stories, facts, stats, and intervention training. The first iteration will be hosted by the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University in downtown Richmond, Virginia.
The walk begins at various points in high traffic areas where catcalls, shouts, and honks are daily occurrences for Richmond pedestrians. Sidewalks along these paths are painted with colorful talk bubbles, featuring words from the experiences of real victims. The phrasing becomes increasingly threatening as the paths steer you towards the ICA, where they converge at the entrance and invite the walker inside.
When entering the atrium,
visitors are greeted with wall art echoing the words from the walk, as well as an explanation of Hollaback! and Call It Out’s joint mission.
As guests enter the exhibition space,
they begin to hear those words. Audio Spotlights will be used to project sounds into a small, individualized space. They function much like actual spotlights; they focus a funnel of sound over a designated area. For example, if you step on one of the pink bubbles in the exhibition space, you—only you—will hear the recording that accompanies victims’ portraits and stories.
Note: We recommend listening to the audio files with headphones on if young ears are present. 🎧
The gallery space will feature thought starters and intervention tactics.
After listening to the stories of victims, guests are empowered to become better bystanders. The gallery evolves into an educational space, focusing on Hollaback!’s 5 D’s of bystander intervention: distract, delegate, document, delay, and direct.
Exit through the gift shop.
Guests can pick up Call It Out merch and selected titles on gender, racial justice, LGBTQ history, sex and sexuality, and more. Proceeds from sales will support Hollaback!’s programs.
Teamwork makes the dream work.
Made in delightful collaboration with Camden Dechert and Sophie Whitfield.