My idea is to incorporate at least three different forms of art to create a multimedia experience that involves the audience and the performer in a creative discourse about my own family’s personal experiences in America.
The first part will be an audio recording/splicing of interviews with my mother, father, and my older sister, all of whom were born in the Philippines. I want to ask them all questions about where they are now versus then, their experiences in coming and going, what home really means to them, and why remembering the past is so important. I want to remix these ideas into an ambient track that allows the audience to discern individual experiences without detracting from a larger image.
Second, I will make a visual backdrop to the entire thing. I want it to incorporate a lot of words as well as very tactile materials—silk, rice, maybe even crab shells. I’ll approach it as a visual diary—a way of chronicling my own experiences as well as key phrases picked out of the track. After the “performance,” I’m going to invite the audience in to read, examine, and touch the backdrop, in much the same way as Maya Lin encouraged people at her Civil Rights Memorial.
Third, I want to incorporate some sort of movement to go with the entire project as the audio track is recording. I’m a bit scared about this part, and I would be much more comfortable slamming some poetry, but I feel like movement will go with the audio track more than competing for verbal space. I like the idea of branching out as part of the creative experience.
Calendar:
Order of events:
1. Interview with my parents/sister—get audio equipment etc.
2. Purchase art supplies and figure out a way to create a good, sizeable backdrop
3. Remix track together
4. Get started on backdrop
5. After backdrop is finished, create a working dance
I’m not sure about time constraints, but I think if I try to do a stage every two weeks, I’ll be able to work it through.
How to Get the Word Out to the World:
I’ve been involved in a lot of performance art shows, and I think that’s where this fits. I’d like to organize an open mic night venue for performance art—I think I could get a lot of organizations involved with it. I want to see the entire class come together to create a cohesive piece.
Your ideas concerning the Open Mic night are wonderful. I hadn't thought deeply about the portion of the project where we collaborate to share our own personal experiences and artistic POV's.
ReplyDeleteI really like your idea of visual art that can be touched, not just enjoyed with sight. And weaving together the narratives of your mother, father, and sister will be emotionally powerful for yourself as well as the audience.
ReplyDeleteWould it be possible to advertise for an open mic night a few weeks before we perform our own pieces so that those who sign up to perform at open mic can do so at the same APA History event? I think it's a great way for the audience to be involved, and not just in viewing our projects but in creating their own.
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