People walk by the National Covid memorial wall in London. | photo by Andrew Aitchison / In pictures via Getty Images
How can we possibly memorialize the brutal toll of COVID-19? It’s something I’ve been thinking about this week. The US observed Memorial Day on May 31, honoring people who died in military service. Artists, politicians, and activists are now starting to think about how to memorialize the more than 3.7 million people around the world who have died of COVID-19.
Temporary memorials have already sprung up over the past 18 months, with flags, painted hearts, and pictures honoring the dead. But plans for new, more permanent memorials are starting to take shape. Some are massive structures, others are quiet gardens, and still others will be incorporated into spaces already dedicated to memorializing people who have died. In the UK, plans are…
