Reach out and touch someone at Congressional Cemetery with new ‘wind phone’ art installation

New art installation in D.C. features a 'Wind Phone' for conversations with lost loved ones

This week in 1807, the Congressional Cemetery was established.

It’s hard to believe that anything 217 years old could become more vintage, but that’s what’s happened thanks to their new, temporary public art installation, “The Landscape Listens” created by Tommy Bobo.

One feature of “The Landscape Listens” is a “wind phone” designed to look like a pay phone. The wind phone allows people to have one-sided conversations with lost loved ones.

Kathleen O’Connor brings her dog to the 35-acre Congressional Cemetery twice a week. She told WTOP that she thinks the exhibit is great, a little retro and cool, adding that this would be the first payphone that some younger folks will see in person.

As O’Connor looked at the exhibit, she noticed a message book was attached to the wind phone, and she started reading some of the messages out loud.

“’Love You Mom’ — that’s short and sweet,” O’Connor said.

The next message she read was less short and filled with pain. “Luigi, are you there? Can you hear me? I wish you’d come back. Life is sad without you.”

One feature of “The Landscape Listens” is a “wind phone” designed to look like a pay phone. The wind phone allows people to have one-sided conversations with lost loved ones. (WTOP/Jimmy Alexander)

While O’Connor didn’t know about the wind phone before coming to the Congressional Cemetery, the same could not be said for Ashley Garacia.

“I may start crying,” Garacia said.

With tears in her eyes, Garacia smiled and admitted the reason she came to Congressional Cemetery was to use the wind phone.

Garacia thinks the wind phone can help deal with loss.

“This gives people the space to process grief and the sense of loss,” Garacia said. It helps having this tactile experience of being able to pick up the phone, even though no one is there.”

After she put the receiver to her ear and used the rotary phone to dial her late grandparents’ telephone number in Cuba, Garacia said she almost thought she was going to hear their voices.

Visitors come to use the wind phone at the Congressional Cemetery. (WTOP/Jimmy Alexander)

The wind phone concept was first created in Japan by Itaru Sasaki. In 2010, Sasaki put a phone booth in his garden so he could have one-way conversations with his late cousin.

In an interview with the Japanese public broadcaster NHK, Sasaki said that his thoughts couldn’t be relayed over a regular phone line, adding, “I wanted them to be carried on the wind.”

The Congressional Cemetery is located at 1801 E. St SE, Washington D.C.

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