The Journey (installation)
Encyclopedia
The Journey is an art installation
on the subject of human trafficking
. Through a series of seven linked transport containers it depicts the experiences of women sold into the sex trade.
The installation's individual containers were designed by artists including Anish Kapoor
, Sandy Powell
and Michael Howells. Its creation was instigated by the actor Emma Thompson
and the activist Sam Roddick
(daughter of the late Body Shop founder Anita Roddick
). It is designed to highlight the work of the Helen Bamber Foundation, an organisation set up by the psychotherapist Helen Bamber
which offers therapeutic treatment to those traumatised by violence and abuse.
The installation was first shown in Trafalgar Square
in London
between 23 and 30 September 2007. It was then shown at the Heldenplatz
in Vienna
between 13 and 16 February 2008, to coincide with the Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking, a conference held in Vienna as part of the ongoing UN Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT).
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
on the subject of human trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
. Through a series of seven linked transport containers it depicts the experiences of women sold into the sex trade.
The installation's individual containers were designed by artists including Anish Kapoor
Anish Kapoor
Anish Kapoor CBE RA is a British sculptor of Indian birth. Born in Mumbai , Kapoor has lived and worked in London since the early 1970s when he moved to study art, first at the Hornsey College of Art and later at the Chelsea School of Art and Design.He represented Britain in the XLIV Venice...
, Sandy Powell
Sandy Powell (costume designer)
Sandy Powell OBE is a British costume designer who has been nominated nine times for the Academy Award . She won the Oscar in 1999 for the film Shakespeare in Love, in 2005 for The Aviator, and in 2010 for The Young Victoria. She has received nine BAFTA nominations, winning in 1999 for Velvet...
and Michael Howells. Its creation was instigated by the actor Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson is a British actress, comedian and screenwriter. Her first major film role was in the 1989 romantic comedy The Tall Guy. In 1992, Thompson won multiple acting awards, including an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress, for her performance in the British drama Howards End...
and the activist Sam Roddick
Sam Roddick
Sam Roddick is the founder of Coco de Mer a British 'erotic emporium' dedicated to the celebration of sexual pleasure, empowerment, dignity and discovery. She is the daughter of Body Shop founder and activist Anita Roddick...
(daughter of the late Body Shop founder Anita Roddick
Anita Roddick
Dame Anita Roddick, DBE was a British businesswoman, human rights activist and environmental campaigner, best known as the founder of The Body Shop, a cosmetics company producing and retailing beauty products that shaped ethical consumerism...
). It is designed to highlight the work of the Helen Bamber Foundation, an organisation set up by the psychotherapist Helen Bamber
Helen Bamber
Helen Bamber OBE , is a psychotherapist who worked with Holocaust survivors in Germany after the concentration camps were liberated in 1945. In 1947, she returned to Britain and continued her work, helping to establish Amnesty International and later co-founding the Medical Foundation for Care of...
which offers therapeutic treatment to those traumatised by violence and abuse.
The installation was first shown in Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
between 23 and 30 September 2007. It was then shown at the Heldenplatz
Heldenplatz
The Heldenplatz is a historical plaza in Vienna. Many important actions took place here, most notably Adolf Hitler's announcement of the Anschluss of Austria to the German Reich in 1938.-The Plaza:...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
between 13 and 16 February 2008, to coincide with the Vienna Forum to Fight Human Trafficking, a conference held in Vienna as part of the ongoing UN Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT).