Clare Twomey : Humanity is in our Hands

Event on Westminster Bridge to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January 2016 during which Clare Twomey gave out 2000 ceramic spoons she had made.

Each spoon bore the words “If humanity is in our hands it needs” and different word to finish the sentence. These were based on a survey she had done on the same bridge the year before asking the public for their views on what humanity was. She had made spoons following a conversation with Nisad Šiško Jakupovi, who survived the Omarska concentration camp during the Bosnian War. During his time in the camp he and other prisoners had carved spoons out of wood with a piece of glass. A spoon is a universal tool.

I went into work early to cross the bridge and try to get a spoon and I was successful. As soon as I climbed the stairs up on to it I bumped into people handing them out. Sadly I’d picked the opposite side of the road to Clare herself but as it was around 9am she was surrounded by news crews.

I thought this was a lovely simple idea and seemed quite down played in its execution on the day however as you read more about it you seen the layers of symbolism in the spoons and I am really pleased to have one.

Review
Times

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