New York City has a ‘grave of secrets’ where thousands of people come to share their innermost emotions and why

(Pic courtesy: Leandro Justen)

We all have skeletons in our closet. Most of us do, if not all. Perhaps it’s a regret you can’t quite shake off, a confession that was never made, or a truth that’s bitter to let go. The thing is, secrets get heavy. They take up space. And they whisper at 3 a.m. when you can’t sleep. We keep them locked away. Most of us take our secrets to the grave. But what if you could bury yours long before you die?If you head to Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, you will find a marble obelisk that will keep your secret. It won’t judge. It won’t tell. It will just keep it, hold it, and let it sit in the dark where it really belongs!

Your secrets are safe here

(Pic courtesy: Leandro Justen)

In 2017, French conceptual artist Sophie Calle installed a white marble obelisk in Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery. There is no body buried underneath. From a distance, it looks like a tombstone, but when you step closer, you will see thoughtful words engraved into the obelisk’s pale marble: “Here lie the secrets of the visitors of Green-Wood Cemetery.”In the base of the tomb, you will find a slot. People write down their deepest, darkest secrets, the ones they’d never say out loud, the ones they’ve been carrying alone. They fold them up and slide them through the slit.The installation, commissioned by Creative Time and co-presented with the cemetery, is a 25-year project. For Calle, this is purely an art installation. “My purpose is the poetry, the work of art, but not the therapy. There may be a therapeutic effect, but that is not my intent. My intent is art,” Calle told The New York Times after the obelisk was erected.

(Pic courtesy: Leandro Justen)

The grave of secrets will stay until 2042, and over that period, Calle will return periodically whenever the grave fills up, exhume the secrets and cremate them in a ceremonial service.“We like this kind of unburdening and this opportunity to be more reflective,” Katie Hollander, the executive director of Creative Time, told the publication. The project offers “a moment of catharsis, getting things that we’re holding onto and releasing them in new ways,” Hollander added.

The true story behind the installation

(Pic courtesy: Leandro Justen)

Everyone has secrets. Sophie Calle also had one. Her ex-lover left her with a terrible secret after breaking up with her. She was left with something she knew she’d carry forever. She wanted a place for it to go. A place where she could unburden herself without any consequence.“I was in love with him, but he had decided to leave me. To soften the break-up, he suggested a farewell trip of one week in Seville. I liked the idea, though it seemed painful. So I accepted and we went. On the last day, seeing my tears, H. told me a secret. It was a terrible secret, which had poisoned his life. And he was confiding it to me. Only to me. At the very moment he was depriving me of his love, this man offered me, through his confession, the ultimate proof of our intimacy,” Calle said in a statement.She knew how heavy a secret can be. So, just like hers, you can bury yours. You can write down your deepest, darkest secrets without a name and bury them in the grave.Calle also has a simple request to keep the experience pleasant and poetic. “I would be grateful if we could forgo selfies, autographs or any other requests not strictly concerning your secret.”

How to get there?

(Pic courtesy: Leandro Justen)

This grave of secrets is located in Green-Wood Cemetery, a 478-acre cemetery in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The installation is located near the cemetery’s Main Entrance. From there, walk towards Bay Grove Hill, one of Brooklyn’s highest natural points. The view opens up to the water, and you will spot the marble obelisk. Look for the words engraved on it: “Here Lie the Secrets of the Visitors of Green-Wood Cemetery.” Then slide your deepest secrets beneath it and unburden yourself.

(Pic courtesy: Leandro Justen)

Writing forces precision. You have to name it, not just feel it. Maybe that’s all we need sometimes: the chance to name the thing we can’t say, place it somewhere it belongs, and know it won’t follow us home. Strangers keep showing up to bury the things they can’t tell anyone else. Maybe you can too!