Thinking of You art installation dedicated to survivors of sexual violence to be presented at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, New York, during UN Commission on the Status of Women.
NEW YORK, N.Y., February 26, 2026 — Thinking of You, the internationally recognised public art installation by conceptual artist Alketa Xhafa Mripa, will be presented at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, the gateway to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, during the 70th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) from March 8-20, 2026. Official opening event 13:30-14:30 EST, March 8, 2026.
A person standing under a line of clothes
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Alketa Xhafa Mripa at the artist’s Thinking of You installation, The Hague 2024.
Image courtesy of the artist. Photo © Fleur Beemster
The large‑scale installation features washing lines of dresses suspended in public spaces, transforming a domestic scene into a collective act of empowerment and solidarity. The work is dedicated to survivors of conflict‑related sexual violence, while also standing as a broader symbol of solidarity with all survivors of sexual violence and the enduring silence, stigma and imbalance of power that often surround it. Nearly 1 in 3 women globally have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, yet only 2% of perpetrators are incarcerated.
“The idea for Thinking of You came about when I watched a TV interview with a survivor, her face and voice altered to protect her identity,” says Alketa Xhafa Mripa. “She said ‘no-one is thinking of us’. From that moment, I wanted her, and all survivors to know – I am thinking of you, many are thinking of you. You are not alone. Art has the power to stop us in our tracks, to heal our souls and transform the way we think. I use art as a vehicle to raise awareness and call for justice.”
Originally created in Prishtina, Kosovo, in 2015, Thinking of You first filled a football stadium with thousands of dresses and skirts donated in solidarity with the estimated 20,000 Kosovan women and girls who were raped during the 1998-99 conflict. Since then, the installation has travelled internationally, including presentations in The Hague, the International City of Peace and Justice, and Strasbourg, the home of the Council of Europe, engaging survivor networks and civil society from across the world.
For the New York presentation, opening on International Women’s Day on March 8 until March 20, garments have been donated both by survivors of wartime sexual violence and by many high‑profile supporters, including fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, feminist icon Gisèle Picot, Nobel Prize Laureate Dr Denis Mukwege and UNICEF Ambassador Martin Bell, underscoring the project’s message of solidarity and shared responsibility to act.
The choice of Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza is deliberate and significant. As the public gateway to the United Nations and a long‑established site for civic expression, the plaza sits at the intersection of diplomacy, activism and daily life in New York City. Presenting the work here during CSW70 places the installation within a global forum focused on gender equality, justice and the elimination of violence against women and girls.
“Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza resonates because it sits at the threshold between the public and international power,” said Alketa Xhafa Mripa. “Bringing Thinking of You here, during the Commission on the Status of Women, places survivors’ voices in a space where policy, accountability and public conscience meet.”
While rooted in the experiences of survivors of sexual violence in conflict, Thinking of You speaks to a wider contemporary moment. Renewed public attention on sexual exploitation, institutional silence and accountability has highlighted how often abuse is enabled by shame, secrecy and power. The installation responds by placing the human cost of sexual violence directly into public view. Each dress represents a person with a story that deserves to be heard.
Thinking of You invites decision-makers and the wider public to pause, reflect and acknowledge the lived realities behind statistics and headlines, insisting on dignity, recognition and justice for survivors everywhere.
About the Artist
Alketa Xhafa Mripa is a Kosovo‑born, London‑based conceptual artist whose work addresses social justice, memory and collective healing. Her practice has been exhibited internationally in public spaces, museums and human‑rights institutions, with Thinking of You recognised as one of the most powerful contemporary artworks addressing sexual violence and survivor solidarity.
More information:
Alketa Xhafa Mripa YouTube Channel
Instagram: Alketa.xh.m
Media inquiries: axhmarchive@gmail.com
Images: Media Gallery of previous installations
The artist will be available for interviews in London until March 4, and in New York March 6 – 21, 2026.