Situated in a outdoor gallery Parque Rodó in Montevideo, Uruguay, the photographs of Susette Kok address the painful subject of sex with children. Through October 22nd, the Centro de Fotografia de Montevideo is presenting the exhibition 17.815: Cuidame que yo te cuidaré (Take Care of Me and I’ll Take Care of You).
“17.815 is the law in Uruguay forbidding sex with a minor in exchange for money or goods,” says Kok, a Dutch photographer who has been based in Uruguay for over ten years. “The other part of the title refers to an image seen on the wall of a sex worker in central Uruguay. That was very symbolic for me: Take care of me and I’ll take care of you. We, as a society, take care of children and adolescents, who in turn take care of society. The law protects the children so that, later, they may protect the law.”
Kok began the project in March 2013, guided by Karin Nuñez, a former sex worker and an activist against the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents. After visiting different parts of the country together, the conclusion was clear: “Sex with children is deeply embedded in this society, from the smallest villages to the biggest cities.” Kok traveled across the country, photographing the scenes of sex crimes (a park bench, a shipping container, a crumbling building), and the private lives of the victims who have reached adulthood.
Read the full article on the French version of L’Oeil.
