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...

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

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