Exhibit at Kingsway Mall portrays domestic violence in realistic fashion

An art installation returned to Kingsway Mall to shed a light on domestic violence in Alberta.

An exhibit at Kingsway Mall is meant to expose the reality of domestic violence: that an outside view of a home doesn’t always reveal what’s going on inside.

The display, resembling a giant dollhouse, has been set up near Entrance 8.

“It looks nice and all put together. You come around the back, and then you actually see the stories of the women who have actually come through WIN House and what goes on behind closed doors that we don’t really know,” explained CEO Leslie Allen.

Jill Dean, unfortunately, knows well that domestic violence may look different than it can appear.

Her sister, Nancy Cooper, was murdered by her husband in 2008 while they were separating.

At the time, she says the family failed to see that Cooper’s unhealthy relationship was actually dangerous.

“Only after what happened did we unravel everything and start to look at the behaviour patterns that were there, the red flags that were there, and truly understand that what we were watching was a domestic violence situation within her marriage. And it was just too late for us,” Dean told reporters on Thursday at the exhibit’s unveiling.

She hopes the display at Kingsway Mall enlightens the public.

“What we truly learned over the course of that situation is just how insidious (domestic violence) is. It’s happening next door to you, it’s happening at community centres, it’s happening everywhere, and we truly didn’t understand what she was going through because we didn’t know to ask the right questions, and we didn’t understand the severity of the behaviour patterns that were happening in our life.”

She said an informed public, from community and family members to institutions like police and the judicial system, is key to supporting victims in escaping.

The exhibit was created by Tessa Stamp and will be on display until March 27.

It is part of WIN House’s larger Light the Darkness Campaign and fundraiser.

WIN House operates three shelters in Edmonton, totalling 71 beds.