CHALLENGE

Every day, an estimated 100 people are killed with guns in the United States, and hundreds more are injured. The city of Chicago has one of the largest firearm problems in the country; every week, nearly 40 people are shot on the streets.

The Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence (ICHV) wanted to raise awareness about the SAFE Act, legislation that helps identify areas that experience high levels of crime based on data surrounding gunshot hospitalisation and mortality per capita to create Safe Zones for improved neighbourhood safety. 

IDEA

So we created ‘The Most Dangerous Street’, an interactive installation that showcased a week-by-week visualisation of Chicago’s gun violence and put real stories within the context of gun violence statistics.

EXECUTION

We built a walk-through installation in a Chicago alleyway that mapped the deaths of 38 local citizens due to gun violence. We filled the alley with 38 criss crossing laser beams—one to represent each of the victims. When visitors walked through the beams, details about that victim, including their age, gender, and the date and time of the incident, were projected onto the alley wall.

RESULTS

This project was not about earning clicks or media impressions. It was an opportunity for us to use technology to highlight an important social issue. Seeing all of the shootings physically represented by lasers in one place was a powerful, emotional demonstration of why we need common sense gun laws to protect the streets of Chicago and beyond. We hope the impact of this installation inspires people to step up, support the SAFE Act, and demand change.