Artist Jenny Holzer's VIGIL, a series of light projections that address gun violence in America, debuted in Rockefeller Center on Thursday night. The large-scale text—and the experiences and messages delivered therein—will now be a focal point in the bustling Midtown spot through October 12th, offering a devastating look at the gun violence epidemic through personal accounts.
The project magnifies the voices of those affected by gun violence, and Creative Time (who worked with Holzer on the project), noted in a statement that this is achieved by bringing "first-hand accounts, poems, and responses by Americans who have experienced the everyday reality of gun violence" to the iconic buildings, in a font size that makes it all but impossible not to see.
Both stark and kind, the work serves as a vigil for victims of gun violence and an acknowledgement of the regularity with which these incidents occur. Holzer included selected texts from Bullets into Bells: Poets & Citizens Respond to Gun Violence, stories from Moments that Survive, collected by Everytown for Gun Safety, and poems by teens growing up in a nation affected by shootings in their communities and schools.
Holzer's work will appear every night at 8 p.m. (until 10 p.m.) through October 12th.
