Objective
Construct an interactive memorial or monument that reflects an issue in society you feel is overlooked, unresolved, or neglected. Your design should use the conventions of memorials and monuments, have a strong invitation, but also challenge your audience.
Concept
Emily and I began our discussion by reflecting on our individual experiences - what angers us, what we feel is overlooked, what we would like people to be more aware of. Emily opened up to me about her very personal experience being bulimic for a year, and how alone she felt. Even after telling her close friends about what she was going through, they did not check in with the frequency that Emily may have hoped for, making her feel worse with the lack of support from loved ones.
We wanted to bring awareness that there are people who are suffering from eating disorders, but it is an individual experience that people have alone.
Process
We purchased one male and one female outfit which both consisted of a black hoodie and a pair of black pants. We filled up the clothing with scrap material so that it would take the shape of a body. We edited vomiting sounds, uploaded it to an iPod nano and connected it to a speaker so that we could install it with the stuffed form. Our intention was to install a form in both a male and female bathroom stall.
Afterthought
After actualizing this monument, I felt deeply saddened, helpless, troubled - if this is an issue that so many people hide behind closed doors, what can I do to help? How can I make a change? How can we change how society challenges the way we perceive our self image? Emily described that the issue can’t be reduced to perceived body image, but that there is an element of control that empowers the person to induce purging.