Yesterday, I started to ask people if they would be willing to write letters addressed to a new generation. These letters, hopefully collected from many countries around the world, will become part of a site-specific, interactive art piece that I will install when we arrive in Pakistan. When the installation starts, viewers will only see a large number of tan, bland, fabric pouches hanging in a public space. As we insert the letters, however, the pouches will be turned inside out, revealing the uniquely patterned and individually adorned linings. The idea is that, as we begin to think about future generations, the entire space will turn from all bland to full of color. Viewers will be able to read these letters throughout the duration of the exhibition and I will also post some of the letters here.
There is so much accumulated fear between the United States and Pakistan at this moment. By installing these "Letters to a New Generation" in this context, I am also hoping that it will provide an opportunity for us to all take a step back and, by the act of reading the letters, learn about each other as individuals across the borders of race, religion, nationality, age, gender, and culture.
To date, we have 0 letters collected, 4 pouches sewn, and 27 days until takeoff.
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| Fabric on the floor of my studio, ready to be cut |
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| The pouches will start as all tan, but once reversed show their interior linings |
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