Over several days, people brought flowers and left them by the candles to pay homage to the individuals noted on the tags.

This project, called Open Ceremony and presented by Trust Art, is an exploration of ceremony, ritual, and idolatry through site-specific performative and interactive installations (dubbed by the artist as “social shrines”) throughout Lower Manhattan.

Listen to Russell discuss her work in the debut video of Guernica’s new interview series, Studio Visit.

Legacy Russell

Legacy Russell is a writer, artist, and curator. She has worked at and produced programs for The Bruce High Quality Foundation, Creative Time, the Brooklyn Museum, the Whitney, and the Met. Her work explores mourning, remembrance, iconography, and idolatry within the public realm. She was interviewed about her performance project in New York City’s East Village and Lower East Side, Open Ceremony, for Guernica’s studio visit series, and her work has been featured in Guernica’s art section.

At Guernica, we’ve spent the last 15 years producing uncompromising journalism.

More than 80% of our finances come from readers like you. And we’re constantly working to produce a magazine that deserves you—a magazine that is a platform for ideas fostering justice, equality, and civic action.

If you value Guernica’s role in this era of obfuscation, please donate.

Help us stay in the fight by giving here.