Public Installation, Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, New York City, 2026

 

Installed in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, the public gateway to the United Nations Headquarters, Thinking of You briought the voices of survivors of sexual violence into one of the world’s most symbolically powerful civic spaces.

 

Presented during the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and opening on International Women’s Day, the installation placed lived experience directly in front of global decision‑makers, diplomats, and public in the heart of Manhattan.

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Thinking of You transforms a familiar domestic image—clothing hanging on washing lines—into a collective act of remembrance, resistance, and care. Hundreds of dresses, skirts, and garments are suspended in public space, each one representing a person, a story, and a truth that has too often been pushed into silence. Donated by survivors of conflict‑related sexual violence and by those standing in solidarity with them, the garments form a powerful visual chorus that insists on recognition. 

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Originally conceived by Alketa Xhafa Mripa in response to the experiences of survivors of wartime sexual violence in Kosovo, Thinking of You has grown into an international public artwork shown in cities where justice, accountability, and human rights are actively negotiated.

 

The New York installation marks the project’s most visible presentation to date—situated at the intersection of public life and global power.​Thinking of You asserted a simple but urgent truth: peace cannot exist without recognition, and accountability begins with listening.

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