THE MATERIALITY OF SACREDNESS
2018
Student Union Gallery
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
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installation
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community engagement
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performance
Conceived during a two-week residency at the Student Union Gallery at UMASS, Amherst, The Materiality of Sacredness was an installation that invited participants to explore intimacy, reciprocity and sacredness. The space was designed to create intimate encounters with various objects such as rocks, textiles, or bowls of water that were accompanied by prompts for engagement. In addition to these scripted invitations, participants could book 30-minute sessions with me in the gallery space where we shared deeper dialogues about the prompts and co-created a space of vulnerability. Operating with a commitment to care for the people who came through, I also made a ritual of cleansing and preparing the space. The project culminated in a public performance honoring the participant's contributions.