The REDress Project
About this exhibition (from the artist):
The installation consists of red dresses suspended in a public space to mark the absence and evoke the presence of Indigenous women and girls who have gone missing or been murdered.
Indigenous women face higher rates of violence than any other cultural group in Canada and the United States. Indigenous families and communities have been advocating for generations to make changes to the colonial system that often treat the perpetrators of this violence with impunity. The REDress Project works to create space for families of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Persons (MMIP) and their supporters to tell their stories and to find solidarity in the struggle to protect the rights of Indigenous women and girls. The project provides a space to hear from frontline community workers, Indigenous women academics, elders and knowledge keepers on how we can work together as a community to bring justice to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) and their families.
Founded in 2009, The REDress Project was first exhibited at the University of Winnipeg Campus in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with over one hundred dresses displayed across campus. Over the past ten years The REDress Project has travelled to over 50 locations across Canada and internationally.
The REDress Project has been shown at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, at the National Museum of The American Indian in Washington, DC and is on permanent display at The Canada Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
“The voices of Indigenous women and girls have fallen on deaf ears for too long. We are and have always been on the frontlines protecting our cultures and communities in the face of colonial violence. The presence of the REDresses fuels our fight for justice and amplifies our voices, we stand beside all Indigenous women and girls, their families and communities—we will be heard.” – Jaime Black
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Jaime Black is a multidisciplinary artist of mixed Anishinaabe and European descent who lives and works in Winnipeg. Black’s practice engages in themes of memory, identity, place and resistance and is grounded in an understanding of the body and the land as sources of cultural and spiritual knowledge.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My work centers on tracing the interconnections between past, present and future, moving between the physical and the metaphysical, reconnecting, remembering, gathering, healing—a coming together, a falling apart—The REDress Project is a call to action to end violence against Indigenous women and girls. Through the placing of REDresses, we acknowledge the spirits of those who have crossed over and honor their lives by collectively creating a growing movement towards social change.
Virtual Artist Talk with Jaime Black, creator of The REDress Project
November 10, 2021
Parking
Guests attending The REDress Project may park in The O'Shaughnessy lot or Dew Drop lot: Campus Map.
Print and place the event guest permit on your dashboard: Parking Permit.
COVID-19 Visitor Precautions
While our communities work to minimize the spread of COVID-19, we ask visitors to observe additional precautions.
Image Gallery
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