When Places Speak – North Dakota is an exhibition that examines how design can disrupt sex trafficking, protect local communities from recruitment and support victims transitioning out of slavery. It is estimated that 27 million people, mostly girls and young women, are trafficked for sex work each year in what is a $32 billion dollar-a-year global industry There were seven criminal convictions for sex trafficking in North Dakota in 2018, ranking the state 14th in the US. In the last three years, the ND Human Trafficking Task Force helped more than 381 victims of sex trafficking, including 89 children.

This exhibition explores locations that are high-risk for girls and young women in our community and encourages viewers to consider how these spaces may be designed to resolve situations that threaten exploitation of vulnerable populations.

This exhibition is a collaboration between Dr. Tasoulla Hadjiyanni (University of Minnesota), Dr. Susan Ray-Degges (NDSU) and Anthony Faris (NDSU). When Places Speak was generously funded with a grant from the Alex Stern Family Foundation.