Photos By Gail

Every two years, London is host to one of the largest arms fairs, where delegations from around the world trade and purchase weaponry. Running parallel, the Art the Arms Fair exposes and expands discourse on the international arms trade’s role in contemporary society. Through visual art exhibitions, lectures and workshops, along with poetry, comedy and music events, artists and the wider public voice opposition while envisioning alternatives to the war industry. Free to all, the diverse set of art offerings present a more accessible format for people who are not comfortable engaging in confrontations protests.

Designed by War Boutique (UK) the Striking Suit (2017) uses a traffic-light system of color-coded panels to indicate the escalating severity of injury to vital and vulnerable areas on the body if struck by a baton.

This system is used to train police officers on where and where not to strike a person. Cities will always need policemen in some form. Striking Suit is a reminder of the delicate balance of power enshrined in those roles.

Photographed in the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum in Manhattan.