COME & GO is a thought-provoking publication and art installation by Petra Valdimarsdóttir, exploring the final words of executed prisoners and the impact of capital punishment.
Exhibited at The Invisible Dog Art Center in Brooklyn, New York, the installation featured hundreds of envelopes mounted on a wall, each displaying a single last word from a prisoner. Visitors could flip them open to reveal the full final statements, but the envelopes were glued shut—preventing access to personal details such as mugshots, names, and the crimes committed. This deliberate choice emphasized the tension between curiosity, privacy, and the unseen realities of justice.
The accompanying publication extends this concept, with each prisoner’s last words visually confined within heavy blocks of black ink, symbolizing erasure and imprisonment. COME & GO invites reflection on justice, humanity, and the voices left behind.