Dr. Eva Kroczynski’s Consent exhibition transforms survivor testimonies into a powerful exploration of memory, accountability, and change.
For most gallery visitors, art begins with color, composition, or form. At the Consent exhibition, it begins with a voice.
Not the voice of the artist, but the voices of more than 2,000 survivors of sexual violence whose testimonies have been gathered over more than a decade from countries around the world. Created by Dr. Eva Kroczynski, Consent asks visitors to do something increasingly uncommon in a fast moving world. It asks them to listen.
The exhibition does not rely on graphic imagery or sensationalism. Instead, it builds its impact through testimony, research, and reflection. Every installation invites viewers to consider not only the experiences of survivors but also the social structures that influence whether those experiences are acknowledged, believed, or ignored. The result is an exhibition that moves beyond traditional feminist art and into the realm of public dialogue.
For Dr. Kroczynski, collecting testimonies has never been about documenting tragedy alone. It has been about preserving voices that are often absent from public conversation. Some of these narratives have also informed academic research on sexual violence and became part of her 2021 publication, Sad Caresses, demonstrating how lived experience can contribute to broader discussions in both art and scholarship.
Consent unfolds through six interconnected series that examine different dimensions of gender based violence. One installation explores the barriers that prevent survivors from reporting assault. Another follows women’s experiences navigating reproductive rights and health care across countries with differing legal systems. Other works shift attention toward accountability, cultural expectations, and the economic and social consequences of violence.
Among the exhibition’s most thought provoking installations is Clockwork, which explores the financial and societal costs associated with sexual violence. Rather than presenting statistics as isolated figures, the work encourages visitors to consider what those numbers represent in human lives, lost opportunities, and the lasting effects that extend well beyond a single act of violence.
Equally distinctive is the exhibition’s refusal to separate emotion from evidence. Testimonies appear alongside documented research, allowing personal experience and verified information to reinforce one another. This approach encourages visitors to move beyond assumptions and engage with the realities that researchers, advocates, and survivors continue to document around the world.
The project has steadily expanded its international presence. After exhibitions in Key West in 2023 and New York’s Chelsea district from 2024 through 2026, Consent is scheduled to open in Westminster, Rye, New York, in March 2027. Each exhibition introduces new audiences to a collection that continues to grow while remaining grounded in its central purpose, creating space for education, empathy, and informed conversation.
“Listening here is not passive. It is the first step toward change,” says Dr. Kroczynski.
That message defines its Consent. Rather than asking visitors to leave it with answers, the exhibition asks them to leave with greater awareness. In a cultural landscape where complex issues are often reduced to headlines or statistics, Consent demonstrates that art can still create the space needed for thoughtful reflection.
Award Recognizes Innovation In Survivor Advocacy Today
We Consent NGO recently received the Best Health and Safety Innovation in Sexual Assault Prevention of 2026 award from Best of Best Review, recognizing its groundbreaking approach to combining survivor testimony, academic research, and immersive art to advance education, awareness, and prevention.
To learn more about Dr. Eva Kroczynski, upcoming exhibitions, and the Consent project, visit www.consentwe.com or contact ew************@*******we.com for exhibition and collaboration inquiries.