Artists’ Reflections on Crime and Punishment is an installation of artwork, documentary recordings, and a simulated witness stand that together reflected on emotions that haunt victims of violence.
Violent crime is part of the fabric of our lives. It surrounds us all, even if it does not intimately touch most of us. We try to keep it at arm’s length; indeed, some of us pray that we will never experience it, while others alter their lifestyles in an effort to reduce its probability. To many, violent crime is both terrifying and compelling.
Artists throughout history have been intrigued by accounts of violent crime. To be sure, artists are among the countless that have reflected the pain and emotion that haunts victims of violence. This exhibition includes some of those reflections.