In Pictures: Art installation commemorates American lives lost from virus with planting of white flags

Photos

Login / Sign Up

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Gold / Forex

In Pictures: Art installation commemorates American lives lost from virus with planting of white flags

Suzanne Firstenberg's public art installation called "In America, How could this happen...

Published: October 29, 2020 11:29 Agencies and Compiled by Devadasan K P, Picture Editor

1 of 11

FLAGS 1-1603956090140 — White flags representing the number of Americans who have died of Covid-19 at the D.C. Armory Parade Grounds in Washington, D.C. A vaccine to help control the coronavirus outbreak isn’t likely to be available in the U.S. until January, if then, according to Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease doctor. Image Credit: Bloomberg

2 of 11

FLAGS 2-1603956095724 — Artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg walks among thousands of white flags planted in remembrance of Americans who have died of COVID-19, near Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington. Firstenberg’s temporary art installation, called “In America, How Could This Happen,” will include an estimated 240,000 flags when completed. Image Credit: AP

3 of 11

FLAGS 3-1603956080150 — Firstenberg encourages visitors to plant flags in honor of their lost loved ones (they can write names on the flags as well). The art installation will be up at RFK Stadium for two weeks through November 6. Image Credit: Bloomberg

4 of 11

TEASER FLAGS 3-1603956100649 — Artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg stands among thousands of white flags planted in remembrance of Americans who have died of COVID-19. Image Credit: AP

5 of 11

FLAGS 4-1603956106176 — Volunteer Dean Holt adds white flags to a temporary art installation in remembrance of Americans who have died of COVID-19. In a breeze, the ankle-high flags ripple, rise and flap, each in its own way. "Like souls," said Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg, 61, the artist behind the growing, powerful commemoration she's building outside RFK Stadium, at the edge of D.C.'s Capitol Hill. Image Credit: AP

6 of 11

FLAGS 5-1603956110185 — Signs encouraging protective masks and social distancing in front of white flags representing the number of Americans who have died of Covid-19 at the D.C. Armory Parade Grounds in Washington. Image Credit: Bloomberg

7 of 11

FLAGS 6-1603956114718 — "How can you not stop and look?" said Kenneth Nguyen, 31, as he pulled over his motorcycle at the edge of the installation and began taking pictures. His cousin survived the virus. But it was rough. Image Credit: Bloomberg

8 of 11

FLAGS 7-1603956118958 — Firstenberg has been simmering for months about how the leaders have handled the pandemic. As early as March, when Texas Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick suggested that older Americans should sacrifice their lives to the virus for the sake of the economy, she knew the result would be devastating. She's volunteered in hospice care for decades. "My hospice patients and their families taught me the importance of dignity," she said. And as the pandemic restrictions left seniors dying alone and families unable to gather and grieve, and with the numbers of the dead mounting beyond anything our nation has seen, she struggled with a way to explain the scope of the indignity and tragedy. Image Credit: Bloomberg

9 of 11

FLAGS 8-1603956123149 — "Words no longer matter," she said in the early-morning fog when she resumed the flag planting at daybreak. "I had to find a way for people to get a better perspective." She decided on white flags to represent the innocence of victims. And she bought more than 200,000 at a dime a piece. (Materials aren't cheap for this one.) Image Credit: Bloomberg

10 of 11

FLAGS 9-1603956085581 — "I know how valuable each life is because I've had the opportunity — the honour — to be with people at a challenging time in their lives, as they're saying goodbye," Firstenberg said. Above, a volunteer adds white flags to a temporary art installation in remembrance of Americans who have died of COVID-19. Image Credit: AP

11 of 11

FLAGS 10-1603956126505 — "Miss You!" is written on one of the white flags representing the number of Americans who have died of Covid-19 at the D.C. Armory Parade Grounds in Washington. Image Credit: Bloomberg

Latest In

Tell Me Why breathing has healing benefits

16 minutes ago
9 best outdoor games for the whole family, in UAE, 2024

37 minutes ago
Think before jumping lanes: Traffic penalties explained

38 minutes ago
Wacker seeks to establish ecological construction

42 minutes ago
DAFZ a growth hub for Boeing

52 minutes ago

This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to improve your experience and provide more personalized service to you. Both on your website and other media. To find out more about the cookies and data we use, please check out our Privacy Policy.

Photos News

Trending