On Rape, Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid, 2026

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COLECCIÓN. ARTE CONTEMPORÁNEO: 1975-PRESENTE
Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid
Permanent collection, curated by Manuel Segade.

Visual artist and photographer Laia Abril has informed her work through extensive research projects where she analyses the construction of hegemonic narratives around gender. Begun in the wake of the gang rape case dubbed by Spanish media La Manada (“mob” or “herd”), the On Rape series addresses the persistence of rape culture in contemporary society, highlighting its systemic nature. These conceptual portraits serve as nodes from which to expose the laws, beliefs and mechanisms of power that protect, normalise and perpetuate sexual violence.

The images, documents and testimonies compiled reveal the use of rape as a weapon of war, the impunity of perpetrators and the revictimisation of survivors during legal proceedings. By shifting the narrative focus from the victims to the perpetrators and from individual action to the role of institutions, the series opens up a space for reflection and collective assumption of responsibility and reparation.

Work titles: Ala Kachuu, Bride Kidnapping, Kyrgyzstan (2020); Church Rape, Argentina (2020); Military Rape, U.S. (2020).Medium: Pigment inkjet print on Hahnemühle paper.