A massive art installation took place on the National Mall on June 8th known as One Million Bones. The public piece welcomed the hands of young and old to fill the grassy areas with handmade “bones.” Matthew Remington, a Masters candidate in art education at the University of Texas in Austin, describes the project as “a social action art installation designed to increase awareness about ongoing genocides and human rights violations that are still going on in the world today.”
The visually impactful piece features one million bone-shaped structures that are made out of clay, plaster, paper, and other sculpting materials as a symbolic mass grave, referencing the lives that have been lost at the hand of violent atrocities. The project, led by artist Naomi Natale, is a collaborative effort amongst artists, activists, and students from around the globe. Thousands of volunteers have made it possible and the project proudly states that “over 250,000 people in all 50 states and the District of Colombia as well as over 30 countries have participated.”
Top photo credit: Teru Kuwayama
Photo credit: pauls95blazer
Photo credit: Karon Flage
Photo credit: Karon Flage
Photo credit: Davo Muttiah
Photo credit: Davo Muttiah