After more than a year of planning, a 27-foot truck wrapped in Barbara Kruger’s artwork has embarked on a cross-country journey. Inside is an exhibition celebrating body freedom, reproductive justice, Queer Liberation and Trans Joy. Conceived by Project for Empty Space’s Jasmine Wahi and Rebecca Pauline Jampol, “BODY FREEDOM FOR EVERY(BODY)” launched in Times Square on September 4 as part of the Armory Show off-sites and is now on a multi-state tour. The truck is bringing works by more than 200 artists, including prominent contemporary names like Adama Delphine Fawundu, Andrea Bowers, Chitra Ganesh, Marilyn Minter, Mickalene Thomas, Naudline Pierre, Felipe Baeza and Portia Munson, to a broader range of communities. Wrapped on one side in Barbara Kruger’s iconic 1989 phrase “Your Body Is A Battleground,” the mobile exhibition will be hard to miss as it travels through major cities. Originally created for the Women’s March on Washington in response to anti-abortion laws threatening Roe v. Wade, Kruger’s slogan has re-emerged amid renewed national debate.
The project, which encompasses the touring exhibition, an installation in New York City and a digital database, aims to spark dialogue about bodily autonomy, emphasizing the importance of agency and choice in healthcare and individual identity. Observer spoke with the curators to learn more about their inspirations and goals for the initiative.
What is the significance and impact of conveying this message nationwide in a 27-foot box truck rather than in a traditional gallery or museum space?
In 2019, we started this initiative under another title “Abortion Is Normal.” In collaboration with an incredible group of organizers (Marilyn Minter, Laurie Simmions, Gina Nanni and Sandy Tait), we produced a series of emergency exhibitions and programs centered on reproductive healthcare. Our goal was to create community and space for care under the threat of Roe v. Wade being overturned. Coming out of that experience, we noted that we were creating a dialogue where we are situated regionally, which could have a more significant impact where some of these rights were at risk. A truck could do this.
Fast-forward to 2024, and we have expanded the program to “Body Freedom,” which encompasses reproductive healthcare and addresses the broader issues of how current and upcoming legislation infringes on our bodily autonomy. This matter affects everyone, and this message has become crucial to our campaign. In the days since our launch, the exhibitions and programs held in New York, Newark and D.C. have attracted three times the audience compared to the 2019 series. These events have sparked conversations tailored to regional topics and unprecedentedly engaged audiences and organizations. We’re currently moving and excited to see how our traveling initiative will resonate with communities beyond our Northeast East Coast Hub.
How does the project activate the local community when it stops? I’m assuming an accompanying public program is a vital part of this initiative.
We spent much of the past year conversing with the communities we visited. We needed to choose our locations intentionally and establish partnerships that helped us connect with people and allowed us to collaborate with local artists actively addressing body autonomy and doing essential grassroots work in their communities.
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Each stop features a unique lineup of events and programs curated to meet local needs and present artists from across the country who are part of this ongoing conversation. “BODY FREEDOM FOR EVERY(BODY)” hopes to create a national network that celebrates our identities and strengthens our communities.
Do you see the project meeting resistance or rejection in some of the states it will visit?
We hope the groundwork laid with collaborating organizations and artists will set the stage for meaningful impact and minimal pushback. So far, we have been met with love and celebration, and we hope that this sense of support persists. However, we recognize that the need for this project arises from ongoing attacks on our bodily autonomy. As we continue our journey, we are taking necessary precautions to ensure the safety of the project and the participating organizers.
After New York, the “BODY FREEDOM FOR EVERY(BODY)” truck’s next stops were in Newark (September 9-10), Washington, D.C. (September 12-14), and Iowa City (September 17-20). It will continue on to Kansas City, Kansas (September 21), Los Angeles (September 27-28), San Francisco (October 15), Tempe (October 16-19), Austin (October 30 – November 2), Houston (November 7-9), West Palm Beach (November 14-16) and Miami (December 3-10). For the duration of the tour, Project for Empty Space will keep their Chinatown location at 128 Baxter Street, currently serving as the “Body Freedom Headquarters,” open daily from 12-6 p.m. to showcase works by artists like Amaryllis R. Flowers, Chitra Ganesh, David Antonio Cruz, Eric Hart Jr., Marilyn Minter and Texas Isaiah.
Among the works featured at the Body Freedom Headquarters is A Series of Choices, a participatory installation by artist Caroline Sinders, first presented during PES’ 2023 Feminist Incubator Program. This piece invites visitors to vote on statements reflecting their experiences with abortion, culminating in a large-scale data visualization that explores how reproductive justice issues impact others’ lives.