Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

2,753 Empty Chairs to Honor 9/11 Victims at Bryant Park

By DNAinfo Staff on August 31, 2011 4:38pm  | Updated on September 1, 2011 9:58am

BRYANT PARK — A solemn exhibition, featuring 2,753 empty chairs, will be erected in Bryant Park next month for the 10th Anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, park officials announced.

The chairs, meant to commemorate those who died at the World Trade Center site, will be arranged on the main lawn, facing south towards the fallen towers, according to a statement by the Bryant Park Corporation.

The tally of those who died in the attacks stood at 2,752 until June, when Jerry Borg was added to the list after he died of pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Bryant Park displayed empty chairs to honor 9/11 victims once before, on the first anniversary of the attacks in 2002, spokesman Joe Carella said.

Lasting from Sept. 9 through Sept. 11, the memorial will close the lawn to visitors, who can view the exhibit from surrounding paths and terraces.

Additionally, park-goers are invited to participate in a performance art project called “Collective Memory,” to take place on Sept. 9, 10 and 11.

That project, conceived by artist Sheryl Oring, will position volunteers with vintage black typewriters on the park’s Upper Terrace between 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.

There, the volunteers will collect answers to the question “What would you like the world to remember about 9/11?” from passersby. The answers will be typed on small sheets of white paper and used in an exhibition that will travel to colleges throughout the country, the statement said.

To volunteer as a typist for the project, contact Oring at oring@iwishtosay.org.