“Last summer saw a watershed moment when young people from Asia and the Pacific Islands shared their stories of sexual assault and gender-based violence,” said the artist.

“I wanted to create a space where private grief could still emerge for anyone carrying heavy burdens to lay them down; a reassuring ritual that lets survivors know that their stories will be told with dignity and respect.

As protesters gathered across the country in an outcry at the Asian and Pacific Islander community, Phingbodhipakkiya wanted to help break the silence. Anyone can visit the artist’s website, MayWeKnow.NYC, and submit their survival story; whether it is sexual assault or gender-based violence. She performs a ritual honoring the recently murdered Asian women in Atlanta every night at 8 p.m., and viewers can watch the space via a 24-hour live broadcast.

The artwork will develop organically over time based on the submissions received through the website, which are then printed (so far there have been 500 submissions). “Every week I harvest armfuls of anger, hope, grief, loss and shame and start to incorporate them into the facility,” said Phingbodhipakkiya.

She uses the printed papers as a kind of sculpture or textile, sometimes cutting them up and weaving them into metal structures or hanging them from above. Sometimes they are posed next to warm colored lights, candles and dried flowers (Phingbodhipakkiya used flowers as a symbol of solidarity and resilience as part of his recent Time magazine cover, which she also illustrated). It embodies a feeling of loneliness and silence.

“Much of this work is a meditation on how we can still flourish and grow after trauma,” she said. “Much like the unpredictable nature of healing from trauma, the finished installation can end up being something unexpected.”

Phingbodhipakkiya paid tribute to the six Asian women victims of Atlanta hate crime who grew up in the city. “We cannot discuss this tragedy without talking about the deadly intersection of racism and misogyny, and the fact that the fetishization and exoticization of Asian women is not an abstract theory,” she said. . “It has violent consequences in the real world.”

Every night, Phingbodhipakkiya visits the space to dim the blisters in the facility and print their names: Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Soon Chung Park, Yong Ae Yue, Paul Andre Michels and Delaina Ashley Yaun González . “And the 16 incandescent bulbs glow resolutely in the dark,” she said.

Survivor stories keep coming in and every time they are submitted through the website they are printed in real time through one of the 16 internet connected printers on site.

One story, which made Phingbodhipakkiya cry, says, “I am a survivor of sexual abuse. My older cousin assaulted me when I was 12 when I was 12. What makes this even more complicated is that he’s on the AAPI side of my family, so I often find myself having a hard time accepting that the source of my connection to this beautiful community also contains my biggest hurt. . I want to believe that there is a bigger purpose, an opportunity to turn this pain into something creative and healing for others. I don’t know what it is yet. But I hope every day. “

Phingbodhipakkiya used recycled materials from Materials for the arts program, which allows artists to reuse donated second-hand materials. It features an old clock, which she says is a nod to #MeToo and the Time’s Up movement. “It’s also a way to recognize Rainn’s staggering statistic that every 73 seconds in America someone is sexually assaulted,” she said. “This is why the clock is always set at 7:30 am, because there is always time to believe the survivors and support their healing.”

This project, created in partnership with the local Business Improvement District and the city’s human rights commission, is what New York City Cultural Affairs Commissioner Gonzalo Casals calls “transforming experiences too often. invisible survivors of sexuality and gender. violence based on something that needs to be recognized and addressed ”.

Presenting an exhibition that uses paper requires a double take: paper can be seen as an easily tearable material. However, Phingbodhipakkiya still sees it as a symbol of strength and resilience.

“A single sheet of paper can be fragile, but with each fold it gets stronger, just like we do with support, encouragement and resources,” the artist said. “The paper that has been folded 100 times is almost impossible to tear, just like the survivors supporting each other and bearing witness to each other is great.

Phingbodhipakkiya sits on the cold concrete floor to read the submissions, tear them from the roll of paper, and work with them. “I physically hold someone’s story in my hands, I don’t take it lightly,” she says. “Every time I fold, fold and twist the paper, I feel like I’m helping release a long-standing burden. I found this process to be incredibly cathartic.

Each story is used as a ray of hope. By weaving the stories together, it proves that the survivors are not alone, providing a sense of belonging, even a refuge.

“Art helps us connect with our humanity when we feel it has been stripped, it helps us find our power and courage when we feel we have been raped or silenced,” he said. she declared.

“It reminds us that despite the limits that society may impose on us, despite the hardships and grief we have suffered at the hands of others or under oppressive systems, we are worthy of love, healing and freedom,” said she declared. “And its multifaceted nature allows us to heal wounds at our own pace and in our own way.”