thoughts behind closed doors
In HARC 1017: Design Activism , the class split up into groups to design a public installation that would raise awareness about an issue of our choosing. Our group chose to focus on Middlebury and students' qualms with it. Though the school claims itself to be a progressive place that is "committed to the value of a diverse and respectful community", the lived student experience proves otherwise. With many students experiencing instances of racism, harassment, and alienation (with varying degrees of administrative response to each of these instances), we decided to acknowledge and inform about these topics, giving people within the larger community a chance to confront and potentially resolve their experiences.
Each panel is made to resemble a dorm room door in order to symbolize the facade that gets built by the idealization of dorm life. Students are invited to anonymously share their own experiences with these topics on the opposite side.
This installation is designed to incite interaction and to touch viewers through the intimate experience it provides. The space is small and each excerpt engenders a unique curiosity - not lengthy accounts but lines similar to overheard conversations. The quotes students have shared which reveal the ignorance or pure aggression of students on this campus are shocking. The simplicity and anonymity of these short quotes emphasizes the horrific and reoccurring nature of these experiences. This piece does not try to reiterate an "us vs. them" mentality but instead attempts to create a space for learning, healing and change.
This installation is designed to incite interaction and to touch viewers through the intimate experience it provides. The space is small and each excerpt engenders a unique curiosity - not lengthy accounts but lines similar to overheard conversations. The quotes students have shared which reveal the ignorance or pure aggression of students on this campus are shocking. The simplicity and anonymity of these short quotes emphasizes the horrific and reoccurring nature of these experiences. This piece does not try to reiterate an "us vs. them" mentality but instead attempts to create a space for learning, healing and change.