SAFE SPACE is a public memorial consisting of a physical canopy which is a digital link (QR Code) to a live webcam feed of the plaza, creating a safe space through crowd-sourced accountability, and raising public awareness of the issue.
This creates an oppression free zone -an urban refuge- with an infinite number of possible online witnesses, ensuring that corruption and brutality will not go unpunished within this socially accountable public space.
The abstract, pixellated design symbolizes the open-ended nature of this case, and the importance of continuing to keep government accountable in the future.
In the intimate space beneath the translucent, glowing canopy are tributes to each of the torture victims. The webcam manifests as an ovoid digital screen displaying the profile pictures of people viewing the website, glowing with the comforting presence of support from people around the world.
The creation of this unique space, both physical and digital, not only memorializes the victims of police brutality in Chicago; but also shows how contemporary society can harness the power of design, technology, and social consciousness to help solve sociopolitical issues.
Read more about the Chicago Torture Justice Memorial Project at Chicagotorture.org
