Remembering the Dead is a sound art work that memorializes people killed in gun homicides in America in 2015. Designed as an act of remembrance, this work is focused on the act of speaking the names of victims in a temporary autonomous zone, defined and expressed through sound, technology, and culture. In this temporary space, permanence is sought through hearing and reflection. The intent is to assure the memories of these victims will not fade from active memory.

Names of gun homicide victims are not available in a centrally maintained database. To identify victims, I browse the Internet and follow custom-designed searches. This is recursive and labor intensive research, and I can never be certain that I have identified every victim.

Those that are identified were sons and daughters, mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, friends, sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, grandsons and granddaughters, grandmothers and grandfathers. By speaking and listening to their names, we honor these victims, we affirm their humanity.

By collecting and curating victims' names and other information, I hope to promote contemporary, comprehensive record keeping of gun homicides in America. Through the act of listening, hearing and reflection, I hope to increase awareness of continued gun homicides. By sharing this information in a responsible manner, I hope to prompt others to speak out against this continued violence and loss of humanity.

Conceptual design and research: John F. Barber
Additional research: Ryan House
Coding: Greg Philbrook
Voice: Violet (US English Female) via responsivevoice.js
Cabinetry: Jim Bosel