Remember

Artist Statement

On 5 October 1938, the Reich Ministry of the Interior issued a decree that invalidated all German passports held by Jewish citizens. These documents would remain void until they were stamped with the stark red letter ‘J’, singling out those people and permanently segregating them from the broader German population.

The names of 130 Jewish girls and women, each beginning with the letter ‘J’, and ranging from 5 months to 81 years, have been meticulously hand-stitched onto a vintage cotton handkerchief from Germany. All these innocent souls were condemned to their death upon arrival at extermination camps across Europe.

The knot in the handkerchief reminds us to remember all those murdered because of hate and bigotry.