An outdoor memorial honoring thousands of Palestinian children killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, has been unveiled in Bushwick.
The Wall of Tears, a large-scale visual art installation created by artist Phil Buehler in collaboration with community radio station Radio Free Brooklyn, is on view from Jan. 29 through Feb. 15 at 12 Grattan St., next to Pine Box Rock Shop.
The mural memorializes 18,457 documented children who have been killed in Gaza since the start of the current war. Stretching approximately 50 feet long and 10 feet tall, the outdoor installation lists the names of the children in both Arabic and Latin script, organized chronologically by date of death and color-coded by gender.
“Today's news cycle and the pulse of current events is too rapid for proper reflection and processing, as a result we risk becoming inured to unspeakable tragedy and outrageous conduct,” said Rob Prichard, co-founder of Radio Free Brooklyn. “The ‘Wall of Tears’ is an important reminder that tens of thousands of children have now been killed in Gaza. And 100 more have been killed since the latest ceasefire began in early October. Most of the surviving children and their families now live without adequate food and shelter.”
The mural was revealed on Jan. 29, the anniversary of the death of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old girl whose killing drew international attention. According to reporting by the Washington Post, Hind spent her final hours trapped in a car after it was hit by gunfire, surrounded by the bodies of family members, while repeatedly calling for help. Her story later became the subject of a short documentary, The Voice of Hind Rajab, which was recently nominated for an Academy Award.
Organizers say the project is intended to create space for reflection amid the constant pace of news coverage surrounding global conflicts. Radio Free Brooklyn leaders noted that the scale of the installation is meant to emphasize the human cost of war, particularly on children, many of whom remain displaced and without adequate access to food or shelter.
The Wall of Tears marks the fourth collaboration between Buehler and Radio Free Brooklyn. Previous projects at the same Bushwick location include the widely viewed Wall of Lies in 2020, which documented false statements made by former President Donald Trump, followed by the Wall of Liars and Deniers and the Wall of Shame, both focused on U.S. political accountability.
Like Buehler’s earlier works, the mural is designed to be experienced both from afar and up close, drawing viewers in to read individual names, stories, and see family photographs.
Radio Free Brooklyn is a nonprofit community radio station dedicated to amplifying underserved voices through locally produced talk and music programming. Buehler, who is based in Bushwick, is a photographer and visual artist known for large-scale public installations that document history and engage with social and political issues.
A community meet and greet is scheduled for Feb. 7 between 2:00pm and 6:00pm.
