Atlanta Wind Phone project makes space for public grieving

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The Atlanta Wind Phone is a public art installation designed for processing grief in Atlanta.

Credit: The Grief House

A public art installation headed for Atlanta’s Oakland Cemetery is aimed at helping people grieve lost loved ones. 

The Atlanta Wind Phone was originally installed in Woodruff Park in October. The free art installation is open for anyone to use. It’s managed by The Grief House, a nonprofit.

Grief House co-founder Sascha Demerjian said one goal of the project is to encourage grieving people to come out of isolation.

"I feel like it's a good entry for, like, getting used to being, like, 'I can do this out in the world,'" she said. "And it's not just 'I can do it,' but it's invited. It's welcomed. It's wanted. So many people don't feel like that's the case for the hard stuff."

 A plaque near the phone encourages people to share messages and goodbyes for their lost loved ones. The messages aren’t recorded.

Kristi Gomez works at Oakland Cemetery. She said the phone will help create a safe space to grieve outside of funerals.

"Traditionally in our culture, you are taught to grieve in particular places," Gomez said. "You're taught to grieve — 'You go here to do that. Don't bring it to other places.' And for Oakland, we want you to bring all of that to Oakland."

The wind phone will be refurbished and reinstalled in Oakland Cemetery in the coming weeks.