THE SILENT MARCH

INSIDE THE WORLD OF CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING, EACH YEAR, BY SOME ESTIMATES, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF GIRLS AND BOYS ARE BOUGHT, SOLD OR KIDNAPPED AND THEN FORCED TO HAVE SEX WITH GROWN MEN. A FACT.

'THE SILENT MARCH' IS A PIECE COMPOSED OF 35 PLAQUES MOUNTED DIRECTLY ONTO WHITE ALUMINIUM, ALLIMAGES WRE TAKEN TAKEN THROUGHOUT NORTHERN ASIA (CHINA), AND MEXICO. INDIVIDUALLY, THEY ALL STAND OUT AS ABSTRACT IMAGES OF FADED BODIES, SILHOUETTES COMING AND GOING, BUT WHEN PLACED TOGETHER AS A JIGSAW PUZZLE, THE GREATER IMAGE IS A WORLD OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS, DARKNESS, AND THE BLOODSHED REPRESENTING THE LIVES LOST AND THE CHILDREN MISSING TO THE UNDERGROUND WORLD OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THE INTERNATIONAL SEX SLAVE TRADE.

THE IMAGES ARE ALL TAKEN OUTSIDE OF ILLEGAL BROTHELS, IMAGES OF MEN (AND SEVERAL WOMEN) AS THEY ENTER AND EXIT THESE PLACES IN WHICH THEY KNOW THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG.

THAT SAID, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PIECE LIES IN ITS AESTHETICS. THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE WITH INSPIRING MOVEMENT, AMAZING PEOPLE AND COLOURS, BUT IF WE TAKE AND STEP CLOSER AND SCRAPE THE SURFACE, WE WILL FIND A PARALLEL WORLD OF WHISPERS, SHADOWS, DARKNESS AND FEAR.