New MOCAD installation tells the human story behind gun violence statistics

Almost 700 people a week died of gun violence in 2018 across the U.S., and that number has only gone up in recent years — rising to over 900 deaths a week in 2022.

An art installation opening soon at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) makes the case that numbers only tell a fraction of the story.

The Gun Violence Memorial Project, built to honor victims of gun violence, is made up of four homes filled with 700 glass bricks, containing relics of lost loved ones. The purpose of the installation is to serve as a reminder that gun violence statistics are more than numbers — they are people who lived lives and had families and loved ones.

Producer Cary Junior II spoke to designer at MASS Design Group Jha D Amazi and artist Hank Willis Thomas. Amazi and Thomas collaborated on the Gun Violence Memorial Project, which is on display at the MOCAD May 2 through Aug. 29.  

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