Persist
This piece explores the various ways memories can persist when our minds fail to preserve them.
Upon entering the space, the viewer is faced with a cascade of fabric featuring photos taken throughout my family’s lives. These images begin clear and saturated, but like memory does with time, slowly fade as the viewer walks by. While some have merely lost clarity and color, others are lost entirely—fallen from memory. Amongst the oldest and most faded images stands a ladder, illustrating how our experiences construct our realities. Though our memories do not define us, they do constitute who we are and how we see the world, especially in our earliest years. In the left hand corner of the floor sits a pile of bare fabric, representing future memories to be made.
On the wall across from this scene is a collage of my personal memorabilia—physical evidence of life lived—pieces of me. Sentimental trinkets, however, accomplish nothing if we do not honor what gave them meaning. The poem Persist, placed at the center of this collage, speaks to this fact.
Abortion: Care or Killer?
This piece explores the morality of abortion. The viewer is directed to stand in front of a mirror upon entering the space, in which they can see prenatal development projected onto their womb area. In sync with this visual, directly ahead of them, is a projection detailing this developmental process week by week, highlighting growth milestones and abortion statistics.
To the left of this is another projection, in which the definitions of commonly used words and phrases associated with the topic of abortion are displayed. This video also features a gynecologist-sponsored animation that depicts an abortion procedure.
To the right is a third projection, in which ethical and logical questions are posed to the viewer. This video also includes the opinions of biologist experts in response to some of these questions, as well as imagery of successful abortions.
The surrounding walls display the information of abortion recovery groups, adoption centers, pregnancy resource centers, as well as the testimonies of those who have experienced motherhood and the prospect of abortion. In the background of all of this plays the sound of the mother’s heartbeat overlapped with the pre-born child’s.