The Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room—a traveling exhibit—opened in a Tribeca galleryfrom May 8 to 24. Located a few blocks from whereJeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell,the library saw over 10,000 visitors during its 16-day run.
TheInstitute for Primary Facts(IPF)—a nonprofit focused on government transparency and teaching civic literacy through educational exhibits—organizedthe 3.5 million pages of DOJ’s released Epstein files into3,437 bound booksthat lined the walls on the main floor of the exhibit.
In the middle of the room, 1,400 electric candles are arranged; one for each known survivor and victim of Epstein.
For many, the gallery was important to understand the sheer volume of the files and the harm within them.
Out of respect for the victims whosenames were not properly redacted by the DOJ, visitors arenot permitted to reador touch the books on the shelves. However,verified victimswere permitted to view the exhibit and the files in private. Several survivors posted yellow sticky notes throughout the exhibit reacting to the content on display, transforming the space into both a memorial and a public call for justice.
David Garrett, an organizer at the IPF,said, “The DOJ added insult to injury by their careless lack of redactions in the release of the files, but also by the fact that they’ve stopped investigating. … What we’re trying to do, more than anything else, is raise public awareness through providing context. What you see when you come into this space is what 3.5 million pages of evidence looks like.”
On the main floor,three timelineslined the back wall: one timeline to show Epstein and his crimes; another for Trump and his crimes; and one to show their life of crime together. The IPF usedFBI evidenceto create the timelines.
As visitors ventured to the bottom floor, an art installation made by Epstein survivorMaria Farmerlined the stairs. The drawings depict unsettling scenes, such as a young girl with her mouth covered by a man’s hand, and one of a girl who was being lifted away by aballoon that bears a man’s facewith the Hollywood sign in the background changed to say “Pedo-wood.”
Visitors were invited to reflect on their experience by adding a note to the reflection wall, which also serves as a tribute to the survivors. They were also encouraged to call the Department of Justice to demand greater transparency and full compliance with theEpstein Files Transparency Act.
At a time when visualization is a tool being used to imagine scales of harm (such aswith Elon Musk‘s $1 trillion net worth), sitting with the scale of 3.5 million files is an emotional, thought-provoking and, for many, upsetting experience—not simply because of what visitors learn, but because of the physical act of moving through a space dedicated to survivors and the enormity of the evidence. For many visitors, the exhibit offered a rare opportunity to sit with the scale of the abuse—and with the failures that allowed it to continue for decades.
Garrett toldThePostof one visitor, Alexandra Richardson: “She had kept up with the news cycle, watched and rewatched social media content, and even read some of the Epstein files herself. But it’s different being in person at the exhibit, she said, amid millions of pages and more than 1,000 candles.”
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The Reading Room next traveled toWashington, D.C., where 5,000 people visited the exhibit in just six days, from June 9 to 14.Less than a milefrom the White House, visitors placedhundredsof calls to the Department of Justice and wrote thousands of notes to survivors, President Trump and DOJ officials.
The Reading Room is nowraising moneyto take the exhibit to Ohio, Iowa, Texas, North Carolina and Florida by the end of this year.
