The exhibit opened in Chicago and has already made its way through Ohio, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and even as far as Florida. Soon the exhibit will make its way west, all the way to California and Washington State. All Americans will have the chance to see this powerful reminder of the troops that still remain in Iraq and the thousands more who might get sent there as war rages on. Because the shoes come in all shapes, sizes, styles, and colors, their diversity also signifies the heterogeneity of the American people. Their diversity also reminds the viewer that war claims the lives of people regardless of their gender, race, or ethnicity.
Although "Eyes Wide Open" is grand in both scale and scope and is designed to be an outdoor installation, the exhibit feels intimate. Viewers can walk around the shoes and read the names off the plaque in silence and solitude or amongst the comfort of loved ones and friends. Glancing at the photos of the exhibit on the American Friends Service Committee website I noticed how "Eyes Wide Open" has a different feel and effect depending on its venue. The shoes are arranged differently in different places, depending on the particular setting. When "Eyes Wide Open" went to Youngstown, Ohio, for instance, the boots were placed on display behind the bars of a courthouse. The harsh, confining conditions there conveyed an entirely different effect than the greenery of Central Park.
When my family and I were in Central Park that...
A sunny day would probably have emphasized the hopefulness inherent in the installation, implied by its very existence. I don't doubt that the American Friends Service Committee through its humanitarian efforts vows to instill a sense of hope into every viewer and every American citizen. Therefore, while "Eyes Wide Open" is designed to be a poignant visual reminder of the men and women who are suffering in combat in Iraq, the exhibit is also poised to inspire hope and proactive behavior. The Quakers are and always have been a religious society that is dedicated to peace.
The entire trip to New York was surreal for me: Ground Zero made me cry and for different reasons, so did the Broadway play that saw the night before we went to Central Park. We had no idea "Eyes Wide Open" existed before we stumbled upon it. When we did we reacted exactly as the title would have had us: with gaping eyes and wide open hearts. The semi-circular mass grave of footwear stood stoically in the drizzling rain. To get there we trudged through some muddy footpaths that occasionally made us forget we were in the middle of Manhattan. The symbolism of empty shoes haunted me for hours afterwards.
Works Cited
Follow the Exhibit." Eyes Wide Open. American Friends Service Committee. http://www.afsc.org/eyes/tour-photos.htm.
Iraq Aftermath: The Human Face of War." American Friends Service Committee. http://www.afsc.org/iraq/default.htm.
