By: Meyer Wolfsheim

The end of life often brings new beginnings as theme artist Adam Tendler explores in his latest exhibit, “Exit Strategy.” This unique display at Green-Wood Cemetery’s Fort Hamilton Gatehouse in Brooklyn presents an emotional collection of everyday items left behind by deceased New Yorkers. These artifacts, ranging from clothing and friendship bracelets to VHS tapes and even underwear, tell deeply personal stories about the people who owned them.

Nicole Rosenthal of the NY Post interviewed Tendler and provided an in-depth look at the exhibit, which was inspired by the artist’s personal loss. Tendler, who is also a pianist and composer, created the exhibit following the death of his father. This personal tragedy prompted him to reflect on what he calls “accidental inheritances”—the things we are left with that we never asked for.

“The question that looms over the project, and what the project aims to explore, is really, ‘What was I given that I didn’t ask for?’” Tendler told Rosenthal. “Sometimes what we’re left with are these accidental inheritances that weren’t bestowed upon us but that we just sort of have. It can be physical objects, but it can also be psychological, emotional artifacts like memories – things that were said, smells, sounds. All those can be bestowed upon us by accident.”

Tendler, a Vermont native living in Brooklyn, began the project by incorporating personal items from those he had lost. Among these were clothing items from his father, such as underwear, socks, and pajamas, which were some of the only things he had left of him.

To expand the exhibit, Tendler reached out to the community through the cemetery’s email networks, connecting with grief support groups and cemetery visitors. This outreach allowed him to meet with donors in person, learning the stories behind the items they contributed.

Rosenthal highlights a touching story from the exhibit shared by Tendler: “A teacher brought in a 30-something-year-old shell that belonged to a student of hers who was probably 10 or so years old [and] was diagnosed with AIDS as a child,” Tendler said. “He did a ‘Make a Wish’ trip, and he brought her back a shell, and she’s held onto it for decades, and she brought it into the installation to release it in a way.”

Although the exhibit’s premise is to part with these items, Tendler offered the teacher the rare chance to reclaim the shell after the show ends next month. However, the teacher declined, emphasizing the exhibit’s theme of letting go. “She had to remind me of the point of what I’m doing,” Tendler shared. “She’s like, ‘No, I’m actually ready to let go of this.’”

The exhibit’s emotional resonance is amplified by a three-hour loop of original music composed by Tendler, which plays in the background. According to Harry Weil, Green-Wood’s vice president of education and public programs, “At Green-Wood, we build relationships with contemporary artists. In turn, their art helps us to build relationships with our community. During his year at the Cemetery, Adam has really embraced the history of Green-Wood and its role as a place where people seek solace.”

The exhibit’s aesthetic has been compared to a “crime scene,” a comparison Tendler embraces as it reflects the messy, complex nature of human experiences and memories.

“Exit Strategy” is open to the public at Green-Wood Cemetery from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. until August 25.