Wondering why so many students have been sporting red t-shirts with large X's on them this week?
The sartorial phenomenon is actually a public art piece, titled "1.3 %" and orchestrated by Arlene Chung '06.
The 75 shirts were distributed to 1.3 percent of the Brown community and represent, proportionally, the 14,000 annual deaths of people aged 15-24 in the United States. Each shirt names a leading cause of death, including accidents, homicide, suicide and illness.
Dedicated to a close friend of Chung's, "1.3%" is also her project for VA 142: "Sculpture II (Installation)".
"The sobering truth is that all lives are both beautiful and fragile - including our own," Chung wrote in a press release. "This project serves as a reminder never to take the gift that we've been given for granted. It is a testimony and memorial to those young individuals who have fallen before us."
In addition to sparking conversation about a particularly relevant topic on campus this semester, Chung's exhibit-as-advocacy raises debate about the fundamental function of art.
"1.3 %" began on Monday and ends today.
