DISPLACED. stories of exile and forced migration

I want to explore the usage of media in a physical space as a tool for creating social awareness. Through an installation of narratives, video and sound, I will present personal stories about displacement and political exile to contribute to the way people understand human experiences different from theirs.

I am interested in utilizing video, sound and interactivity in installation to create an immersive experience. Through the combination of personal stories, media and artifacts, I intend to create a space where audiences can better connect with, and understand content as if they were having a more personal encounter with the narrators. I believe this connection can bring awareness to social issues and reach people’s attention in a compelling way.

By recounting stories of people who have been forcefully banished from their countries due to political persecution and how they migrated to the U.S, I believe audiences can find an emotional affinity to these narrations and be compelled by the material at a “gut” level. I am looking to provoke my audience and insight them to want to find out more about the historical connotation of these stories, and even question the role of the U.S government as a powerful force in the development of these conflicts. Perhaps they will even feel rebuked for any previous misconceptions on any of the social topics presented in the installation.

Through close friendships I have learned about stories of individuals who have immigrated to this country as the only way to escape insufferable situations and often persecution. These are very important narrations that could change individuals’ discernment and contribute to a more collective social conscience.

I am designing this piece for a broad adult audience in the United States. I believe people in the metropolitan areas would benefit from this information the most, since they have more exposure to demographic diversity and could then reach to Immigrant Communities who fit the exposed profile if they desire to understand them better.
My ideal place to present this installation would be at a conventional, mainstream gallery or museum, a place where a general adult audience could familiarize themselves with these human experience

I have chosen to present three stories from three different countries. They will be presented in a suitcase installation. A total of twelve to sixteen vintage suitcases painted in a monochromatic color scheme.
Once the viewer opens the suitcase, he or she could get a projection and narration of the story. These stories would be divided into small snippets of the chronological story organized by topics.
If the viewer closes the suitcase, the next time that a viewer opens it he or she would view and listen to the following snippet of the sequence.