“On My Terms”
Media: Exhibition (Interactive installation and obituary)
Project: The theme for the exhibit was “tracework” or “legacy,” and we needed to pick a specific prompt relating to legacy and create two media pieces to portray the prompt that was picked.
Rationale: I chose to do the topic about memory. Memory, in this case, is how one wants to be remembered by others and how they are reaching that goal. Based on the topic I chose, my first medium was my own obituary and how I wanted to be remembered, and what I look like. My second medium was my installation, where people can participate and hang up their responses based on how old the participant is. Also, big shout-out to @Jammie, who helped me do my portrait for my obituary!
‘Obituary’
When making my own obituary, I wanted to be remembered by the things that I love doing, art and design. I chose to go with one of my favorite painting styles, Baroque, because I enjoy the darkness and drama that they exude (kinda like me). Then, I incorporated typography on top of that to represent my design elements to create my own style that includes art and design.
Even though obituaries are usually written by the people mourning the person they are making it for, I decided I wanted to write the things that I wanted others to remember about me, and take autonomy over my memory. I wanted to represent my different identities through the names that I use so that they are not forgotten and may be discovered by other people.
Some Obituary interactions…
‘Memory Vines’
I wanted to include an interactive element that lets people reflect on how they want to be remembered. The cards were based on the toe tags that deceased people receive after an autopsy, and participants get to write the information themselves on their remembrance.
The colors are organized by age so that participants can go inside and read what other people around their age or other ages wrote on how they want to be remembered. The colors are based on the changing colors of leaves, green being the youngest and red being the oldest.
Vines were chosen to hold all these responses because they represent personal growth, connections, and resilience. Though we will pass one day, nature will be a witness to that, and I wanted to show that through my installation that you are seen.
Some Memory Vine interactions…
