Jenny Holzer presents I REMEMBER Joe Brainard, a series of animations featuring selections from I Remember by artist and poet Joe Brainard. The work, which debuts on World AIDS Day 2026, honors the lives of the more than 120,000 New Yorkers lost to AIDS and marks the 10th anniversary of the New York City AIDS Memorial.

Set primarily in bold white text against a black background, Brainard’s recollections unfold across the screens of Times Square, from “I REMEMBER BUTTER AND SUGAR SANDWICHES” to “I REMEMBER BODY REALIZATIONS ABOUT HOW FRAGILE WE (LIFE) REALLY ARE (IS)” and other fleeting, intimate details of his early life. First published in its complete form in 1970, I Remember charts memory through honest, humorous, and observant declarations. Deeply personal yet widely relatable, Brainard’s words honor one person among the 120,000, a reminder that behind every name of someone lost to AIDS is the memory of a life both extraordinary and ordinary. Brainard, who died in 1994, left a celebrated legacy within New York City’s LGBTQ+ and artist communities. Through one artist’s memories, I REMEMBER Joe Brainard calls on New Yorkers to gather, celebrate, and joyfully acknowledge those who lost their lives to HIV/AIDS.

December’s Midnight Moment is presented in partnership with the New York City AIDS Memorial in honor of its 10th anniversary.

Inaugurated in 1988 as the first-ever Global Health Day, World AIDS Day is observed each year on December 1. It is a day of solidarity for people around the world who are affected by HIV. This is a day for voices to unite by sharing experiences, remembering those lost, and standing together in the fight against HIV.  While great strides have been made over the four decades since the first known reported cases of AIDS, this disease remains a public health challenge. World AIDS Day is an opportunity for every community and each individual to honor the more than 32 million people who have died worldwide from AIDS-related illness and a reminder that AIDS is not over.

I REMEMBER Joe Brainard, 2026

Text: "I Remember" from Collected Writings of Joe Brainard, © 2012 by the Estate of Joe Brainard. Used with permission of Ron Padgett and the Library of America. All rights reserved.  

© 2026 Jenny Holzer, member Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.