Archinect - News

Artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg's moving Covid memorial opens on the National Mall

2021-09-17T17:49:00-04:00

On one small, white rectangle is the name of a 29-year-old engineer, on another the name of a World War II veteran, and on a third, that of a 15-year-old -- just three of more than 600,000 flags on the National Mall reflecting the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on American lives and the country.

The installation, "In America: Remember," was originally conceived by American artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg at the beginning of the second wave of the pandemic in October last year.

"Taken holistically, this is a physical manifestation of empathy," the artist said at today’s opening ceremony, which was attended by DC Mayor and new Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch. The exhibition is open to the public today and will be on view through October 3rd.

Displaying more than 600,000 white flags, a powerful Covid memorial is coming to the National Mall

2021-08-03T09:00:00-04:00

More than offering a bold visual, the art will connect people who have grieved the deaths of loved ones in isolation, perhaps without an in-person funeral, Firstenberg said. It’s visualizing the vastness of loss. And it’s allowing people to participate — digitally or in person — whether or not they know someone who died of COVID-19.

A new installation will bring the cost of the Covid pandemic to one of Washington, D.C.’s most sacred public spaces this September in a heartbreaking display of 610,000 individual small white flags placed in the National Mall by local artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg.

The flags are part of a national memorial organized by Firstenberg and planned initially for President Biden’s inauguration in January. The Parks Service eventually got around to approving the artist’s request in the spring, and she will now begin work on September 14th planting the flags in 142 different sections with the help of online and in-person volunteers.

Digital mapping support for the project was provided by a tech company called Esri. Their team was connected to Firstenberg by George Washington University professor Sarah Wagner. Wagner, a researcher in the memory of mass casualty events and collective loss, heard about the Colorado-based firm because of the work software engineer Jeremiah Lindemann did cr...

Thomas Heatherwick reported to be consulting on a UK Covid memorial

2021-07-27T15:31:00-04:00

The Times is reporting that Thomas Heatherwick has met with members of the British government as recently as March in what could be discussions surrounding a future memorial to COVID-19 victims in the UK.

Heatherwick has done a number of high-profile commissions in London, the city of his birth, over the past decade. Cabinet Office Minister Chloe Smith took a meeting with the 51-year-old architect although nothing further has been confirmed in terms of his involvement.

Related: Thomas Heatherwick on Archinect Sessions podcast, "Problem-solving with Thomas Heatherwick"

A commission for a memorial has been announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a May address to parliament. The memorial will be established at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. An online fundraiser has already garnered more than £2.3 in donations from across the commonwealth.

Johnson told the House of Commons it was a “solemn duty” to construct a national memorial.

There is a fraught history recently between Heath...

New York City is moving its planned COVID memorial from Battery Park after protests

2021-07-09T16:55:00-04:00

Ten days after Gov. Andrew Cuomo revealed plans to build a new monument in Lower Manhattan honoring New York's essential workers who served on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state is now working out a new plan after protesters detoured construction in Battery Park City.

The state had already broken ground on the project late in June before backing out this week thanks to an incredible amount of public backlash against it. The governor’s plan for the monument was so fast-moving that it had initially been slated to open on Labor Day before this week’s pause.

A petition drive had garnered over 8,000 votes online before the announcement. There will be a committee meeting to discuss a potential new location on Wednesday. Gothamist has more on the protest and relocation effort here.