As school groups and tourists walked the grounds of the Capitol lawn Saturday afternoon, they were met by 26 red quilts made up of just over 100 squares bearing the stories of survivors of rape and sexual assault.
The display of the Monument Quilt, a project of the Baltimore-based activist group FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture, was a first in D.C. Flanking the quilts were four “Trigger Warning” signs, informing those who approached that the stories written on the quilt could prompt powerful and painful feelings.
With “NOT ALONE” cut out in fabric, the quilts displayed messages including “He goes to bed peacefully,” “Sometimes she can’t let me love her,” and “Please don’t tell me it never happened of that I should be over it by now.”
Rebecca Nagle, an artist and one of the founders of the project, said an individual’s reaction to the quilt depends on where they’re at in life.
“For everyone it’s going to be really different,” Nagle said of what people will walk away with after seeing the quilt. “I think for the public just in general, in doing these displays, it’s seeing a model for how we can talk about these issues publicly in a way that’s healthy, because there’s not many platforms to have these discussions.”
Indeed, it was very clear that FORCE takes their role in the discussion seriously. Several volunteers were in attendance Saturday wearing red shirts that read “Info” to explain the project. Three others wore blue shirts that said “Supporter,” meaning they are trained in counseling survivors of sexual violence and were available to talk with anyone who witnessed the quilt.
There were two quilts where people could “reflect on their experiences” by writing on a square, as well as cookies and beanbags filled with lavender and rice for self-care.
“We know that it’s intense to bring this out into the public realm,” Nagle said, “But it’s an important thing that needs to happen. We take the responsibility of taking care of people really seriously.”
The larger goal of the project is to establish a permanent monument to survivors of sexual violence. “What we’re trying to do by having this on the National Mall is think about the national monuments that we have, build this narrative and create space for people to reflect on our history,” Nagle said.
Roughly 300 people saw the quilts on Saturday. FORCE will take the Monument Quilt on tour this summer and hopes to do a final display of the completed project in spring 2016. “We’re realizing whatever our process is has to be really responsive to the people who engage with the project,” Nagle said. “We take very seriously the weight of the project.”
Monument Quilt Display at Capital Building from Hannah Brancato on Vimeo.
