The exhibit serves as both a memorial to survivors and a testament to the power of public truth-telling.
The Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room—a traveling exhibit—opened in a Tribeca gallery from May 8 to 24. Located a few blocks from where Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell, the library saw over 10,000 visitors during its 16-day run.
The Institute for Primary Facts (IPF)—a nonprofit focused on government transparency and teaching civic literacy through educational exhibits—organized the 3.5 million pages of DOJ’s released Epstein files into 3,437 bound books that 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 whose names were not properly redacted by the DOJ, visitors are not permitted to read or touch the books on the shelves. However, verified victims were 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 timelines lined 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 used FBI evidence to create the timelines.
As visitors ventured to the bottom floor, an art installation made by Epstein survivor Maria Farmer lined 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 a balloon that bears a man’s face with 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 the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
At a time when visualization is a tool being used to imagine scales of harm (such as with 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 told The Post of 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.”
The Reading Room next traveled to Washington, D.C., where 5,000 people visited the exhibit in just six days, from June 9 to 14. Less than a mile from the White House, visitors placed hundreds of calls to the Department of Justice and wrote thousands of notes to survivors, President Trump and DOJ officials.
The Reading Room is now raising money to take the exhibit to Ohio, Iowa, Texas, North Carolina and Florida by the end of this year.
You may also like: On the Issues With Michele Goodwin‘s “On Surviving Epstein” episodes. Goodwin is joined first by Jess Michaels, a sexual assault awareness advocate and Epstein survivor. Dr. Goodwin speaks with Jess about her experience as a survivor of sexual assault, her work as an advocate, and what she wants the public to know about sexual violence as news about Epstein and his connections to powerful men and women continues to come to light. And in Part II, Dr. Goodwin is joined by journalist Moira Donegan to discuss the implications of the files, and what needs to be done in order for his victims to receive justice.
