(untitled)

experimentation and testing of an in-progress collaborative installation.

video documentation of ‘midterm experiments (installation 1), 2025. “intensive studio”.‘ shot on sony dxc-3000a.

Throughout history and across cultures we as a people have discovered vast methods of storytelling. We are interested in how these stories are told, the ways in which they are passed down, the content of these stories. We are interested in how humans choose to communicate these stories to one another - whether it be visually, musically, poetically, or however else. These are the main questions and concerns that we will be exploring this year.

We hope to create a large-scale installation that tells a story of our own making.

midterm experiments (installation 1), 2025. “intensive studio”.

We feel that oftentimes, storytelling is done in a literal, visual, and linear sense. For example stories from the Bible, and their direct representations into visual mediums such as mosaics, paintings, reliefs, etc. In many contexts, they require some understanding of the written material to reveal its true and literal meaning. However, observing the imagery without context of the stories may give audiences an entirely new experience. An experience no longer bound by linear based representation. A place where the viewer is allowed to imagine into a story and has the ability to weave in their own beliefs.

Is there room for non-linear representation in visual storytelling? Can viewers experience something outside of the original, often intended, story or allegory? Can they make something new from this lack of context?

Narrative-driven storytelling challenges the core of shared experience. By guiding the audience toward a single, conclusive meaning, it limits the openness of interpretation. But if instead we offer only the essence, just enough to suggest direction, and then shift the context, patterns, and format of the story, the question becomes: what remains, and what is lost?

midterm experiments (installation 2), 2025. “intensive studio”.

Collaboration is also a challenge in and of itself. While we have worked together before, this project asks us to narrow our practice in new ways. A year-long thesis project is very different from a small show or class assignment. Its scope expands possibilities, which in turn complicates decision-making and focus. Our current strategy for collaboration is inspired by the idea of play and games such as Exquisite Corpse. This notion of placing something in a space and allowing for the other to play and interact and add. This process requires both of us to let go of control, trust in each other and our shared vision. Through experimentation, play, and collaboration, we hope to uncover new methods and possibilities that will guide our practice forward.