The dress was designed and knitted by the esteemed fashion designer Haya Nir, a pioneer and master of knitting. At the age of 76, Nir has had an exceptional career. As a mentor to young designers, she has left an indelible mark on the fashion industry. In addition to owning the iconic and prestigious boutique Katomenta in Tel Aviv, she has created captivating costumes for acclaimed productions, including those of the renowned Batsheva Dance Company.
Since retiring, Nir has dedicated her time to volunteering for numerous organizations, showcasing her unwavering commitment to giving back to the community. She was a prominent volunteer at Ayin Tova, an organization that provided evacuees who relocated to hotels around the country following October 7 with yarn, knitting needles, friendship, and community.
A new dress is created for each performance, capturing the spirit of the venue and event.

PoppyPink is an ongoing, minimalist, site-specific performance art project that premiered in Central Park, New York, in October 2024.
The Artist wears a knitted pink dress with a single thread tied to a tree. As she walks, the thread unravels behind her, leaving a trail. Audience members are invited to follow the artist, engage with the thread, and at the final stage, tie a thread from the dress around their wrists. It is a participatory ritual of remembrance, connection, and shared grief.
The performance serves as a symbolic tribute to victims of war and violence worldwide, raising awareness of human suffering while offering a space for reflection, collective memory, and solidarity.

Having premiered in New York, PoppyPink is now set to expand to other U.S. cities and around the world, inviting diverse communities to participate in this act of remembrance. Each location offers a new opportunity to connect audiences to the performance’s message, fostering global awareness and solidarity through shared experiences, including a universal stand against sex crimes used as weapons of war and for human rights.
We invite cultural and academic institutions to host and support future PoppyPink performances. Each location will feature a unique path, thoughtfully designed to reflect its context and audience.
An artist talk and a community gathering will accompany the performance, fostering dialogue and engagement.
The dress remnants and performance documentation will be available for acquisition, preserving the project's legacy and impact.

The Jewish Museum and the America-Israel Cultural Foundation served as fiscal sponsors for PoppyPink New York. The project was made possible by generous donations from individuals, funds, and businesses.
Fellow artists, groups, and organizations also played a vital role, offering time, advice, skills, and resources to bring this performance to life. Partnerships were crucial to the project's success, as each collaborator brought unique expertise and perspectives. This collective effort underscores the deep commitment behind PoppyPink.

The first dress was used at the Central Park rehearsal on one of the hottest days, with a small team and a representative from the Jewish Museum. It was completely unraveled during rehearsal, and designer Haya Nir crafted a whole new one for the first formal performance.

The PoppyPink New York performance took place on Sunday, October 27, at noon, to commemorate the one-year memorial of October 7 (Hebrew calendar). An incredibly supportive audience followed me along my route, engaged with the thread, and stood with me one by one as I tied a thread around their wrists.
The Ravine in Northwoods, Central Park, provided a powerful backdrop for PoppyPink, enhancing the performance’s emotional impact and aligning with its themes.

In October 2025, PoppyPink traveled to Houston and Austin to explore the possibility of a performance tour across Texas. The visit included meetings, networking, location scouting, and preliminary photography. Houston’s southern hospitality, together with its warm Jewish community and vibrant art scene, created a supportive environment for this meaningful project.
The Clay Family Eastern Glades at Memorial Park offers a powerful setting for PoppyPink in Houston 2026. The site provides a large open area, accessible seating overlooking the performance path, and benches across the lake where the artist continues her slow walk.
In Austin, the sculpture park at Laguna Gloria stands out as an ideal location for the performance, offering a unique connection between nature, art, and reflection.

A photoshoot at the New England Holocaust Memorial in Boston.
The memorial was founded by Stephan Ross and designed by Stanley Saitowitz. It consists of six glass towers that rise along a public walkway, engraved with numbers that reference Holocaust history. Steam emerges from underground chambers, creating a shifting atmosphere that changes with weather and light.
The structure is integrated into the city’s movement, allowing visitors to walk through it as part of their everyday path.

The upcoming Prague project introduces a new phase: a new dress, a new city, and a new cultural context. The performance is planned around Charles Bridge, one of Europe’s most iconic public spaces.
The new pink dress will be exhibited, followed by a public performance, an opening event, and an artist talk.
Presenting the project in Prague expands the work across Europe, creating a shared artistic experience that invites participation, reflection, and connection. The project continues to focus on human rights, while creating space for solidarity and remembrance within a new environment.

This is my vision for PoppyPink in a gallery space, as a place for remembrance and contemplation.

Imaging: Ilanit Shamia

The dress is knitted from a 2,530-foot length of thread, representing the 253 people abducted from Israel to the Gaza Strip. Crafted using a seamless, intricate, continuous technique, it allows the dress to be unveiled effortlessly as a continual, silent elegy.

The soft and light fiber offers solace to the soul, while the fuchsia-pink color symbolizes strength, hope, and healing. This symbolism is intended to inspire and uplift, reminding us of the resilience inherent in the human spirit during moments of sadness and grief.

The New York performance was professionally captured in a 6:23-minute museum-quality video, filmed and edited by Maya Baran, and complemented by high-resolution photographs by Shani Barel. This documentation preserves the emotional depth and visual impact of PoppyPink Walking Central Park, showcasing the performance and ensuring its legacy is accessible for exhibitions and archival purposes.

The Jewish Museum in New York supported the project and served as one of its fiscal sponsors. Prior to the performance, the dress was displayed at the Museum, allowing visitors to express solidarity, offer prayers, and engage with the project.
The Museum hosted a reception to honor PoppyPink on October 29, 2024. During the event, Museum Director James Snyder shared heartfelt remarks about the project’s significance: 

"Lilac came to us during the heavy time following October 7, 2024, with an idea that was both deeply moving and remarkably in sync with our own discussions about expanding into performative arts. Her vision—to connect her project in the park with the Museum—resonated with us immediately [...] It starts with an object, the dress, and it ends with an object, but in between is a powerful act of performance and movement.

In these polarized and challenging times, culture has the potential to lead us toward a brighter path. PoppyPink embodies this, turning a profound idea into a simple yet impactful experience. It’s been a privilege to support Lilac in bringing this vision to life here and to inspire its continuation in other cultural settings. Thank you, Lilac, for your creativity and for trusting us to help you realize this beautiful project."

The photography is by Shani Barel, an acclaimed photographer based in Los Angeles and a lifelong friend whom I met at the Photography Department at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design over three decades ago. With a career spanning more than 30 years in professional photography, she is known for her portrait work, her sensitive approach, and her ability to connect deeply with her subjects. Our shared passion for art and our shared history bring a strong sense of trust and understanding to the work. She accompanies me on location to document the project.