Wendy Earle discussed the experience of curating the installation, Afterimage Requiem, by Kei Ito
Interview Summary
The participant chose to discuss a piece called “Afterimage Requiem” by photographer Kei Ito. The piece consisted of life-sized photographs of the artist depicting himself as a victim of the Hiroshima bombing. The participant chose to discuss this piece as it evokes a lot of feelings and sensory experiences due to its large size and subject matter. They think that this medium of abstract photography is one not often seen, but is powerful in depicting concepts and feeling, making it unique. They were motivated to explore this piece when it was sent to them and they participated in the installation of the exhibition along with the artist, the artist’s girlfriend, the sound collaborator, and fellow coworkers. They believe the artist intends for the piece to express the artist’s own reckoning with his own familial history in relation to the Hiroshima bombing, while bringing awareness to the event and nuclear issues more generally.
Throughout the interaction, the participant felt prideful to be a part of bringing the artist’s vision to life, but felt mixed feelings about the bombing as it actually happened in comparison to what is taught in history classes. Some high points included visitors’ engagement with the work, such as those with Autism Spectrum Disorder enjoying the sensory experience. Lower points included reflecting on the impact of the bombing, such as the cancer risk associated with being a descendant of a survivor. This experience helped them learn about the physicality of art spaces, trusting an artist’s vision, and nuclear history. Regarding an understanding of others, it made them consider the casualties of war in different ways and the importance of being mindful in future conflicts. In terms of their authentic self, they feel like it helped them have a more developed sense of empathy. They acknowledge not believing in an afterlife, but noted that they couldn’t help thinking about it in terms of innocent lives being taken, where those people will only live on in stories. They emphasized believing that we have our own autonomy, where we are the ones who make things meaningful.
Interview Transcript
Introduction
Interviewer: And then, have you already chosen your artwork?
Participant: Yes, yeah, it's something that I curated a few years ago.
Description
Why did you choose this one? (Specialness)
Interviewer: Perfect, okay, yeah so we’ll be talking about your experience with that. And then to get started I just wanted to ask, so what is the artwork?
Participant: So, it's this artist who is a photographer named Kei Ito. His grandfather survived the Hiroshima bombing. And so he makes work with his body that's sort of been irradiated through generations. And he makes these like really, these life-size photographs of himself as if he was a victim of the Hiroshima bombing. So the piece is called “Afterimage Requiem.”
Interviewer: Great, and then do you have that with you, would you be able to share it?
Participant: Yeah, yeah, let me see, let me go to his website real quick. He’s a really active artist, so it should be pretty easy to see. Yeah. So let me share that in the chat.
Interviewer: Okay, perfect. And then could you describe the artwork for me?
Participant: Sure.
Interviewer: As to what the important details are?
Participant: So the important details are… There are a lot of photographs. There are, depending on the installation, like at least 60, and they're all like 6 feet. So they’re life size and like, think, like 2 or 3 feet wide and 6 feet tall. So they're all like human adult scale. And it's, you know, his body in various states as if he were, you know, blasted by an atomic bomb. But it's also, you know, knowing that background, it's like, you know that it's a living person but you can kind of see this, this echoing of the past throughout it. And it's like kind of like black paper, because it's photosensitive paper, and then the actual images of him are like kind of this yellowish, very golden color.
Interviewer: Great, and then why did you choose to talk about this for this study?
Participant: This piece? Because it, I think, evokes a lot of feelings and a lot of sensory experiences because it is so large. So it, you know, he, he installed them like several, like layers high, so it really envelops the space. He also worked with a sound artist so there's these like recordings, and so it's multi-sensory. Also, I did just write a recommendation for him so he was just in my head.
Interviewer: And then is there something about this genre or medium of art that's meaningful or distinguishing for you as compared to other art forms?
Participant: Yeah, so I think that it's abstract photography, which you don't really see a lot. Normally you see, photography as being very representational. You know, nature, or you know, people. But this is, you know, an artist who is using this medium of photography to get across these very abstract concepts and feeling, so that alone makes it unique. And then, you know, you can't help but think about the history behind such, you know, what led him here, what led his own personal history. And then you know, kind of our own reckoning with nuclear history which seems to be in the news a lot right now with, you know, all this stuff going on in Ukraine.
Interviewer: Thank you. And I was actually just called by the contractor so give me, yeah sorry about that.
Participant: No worries. I actually have my step-dad, doing some projects in the basement.
Process of Interacting
What led up to the interaction? What motivated you to explore this piece?
Was there something that needed to be expressed through the artwork?
When and where did the experience happen? Who was involved besides you?
Interviewer: Alright great yeah, thanks for your answer to that question. And now, could you please tell me about the experience and process of interacting with this art? So, what led up to this interaction? What motivated you to explore this piece?
Participant: So, a colleague of mine sent it to me in the mail, along with the story of this artist and his background. So, you know, this piece is different from perhaps other artists, because I actually, you know, helped install it, which was really cool. You know, we brought the artist out a few times along with his sound collaborator. And then they actually installed it and we, we realized really quickly that because they're so large we couldn't really frame them, cause that would just be ridiculously expensive. And also we wanted that immediacy so we ended up developing this magnet system. So, we actually went around like on a scissor lift and, and created, you know, like drill holes, and then used magnets to hang the piece, you know, top and bottom. And so my experience of the piece, you know, certainly, after it was installed and all the sound was up it was very different, but, but I also kind of really understood the physicality of it. And how you get a piece up, how you get, you know, these, these 6 foot things, 3x3 high up to like 20 feet on the wall. And and what the kind of dedication that takes, you know the the week of work of just, you know, installing those. And then we had pieces on the floor as well that we're kind of put just, not even attached to the floor, but just had rocks on them, and then you could kind of walk through it, and it was almost like walking through a cemetery with the different graves. And so that was really important to us too is, is thinking about how people approach it and making sure, like, okay, you know, this is like a weird shaped space. Is there enough room for like a wheelchair to get through without nicking the edges of everything? So the, the technical aspects of it. But then, yeah, also just the physicality. And then, once everything was up and the lights were really dim it was this very somber experience, and it did feel like you were, you were walking through, you know, a graveyard. But also, you know, there is not, you know, not recent, but you know, maybe like a historical graveyard, it wasn't like as immediate if that makes sense.
Interviewer: Yeah, thank you. And then do you think that there was something that wanted or needed to be expressed through this artwork?
Participant: Yeah, yeah. I think it's an artist reckoning with his own history. But then also, you know, both artists actually had, both, the, the photographer and the sound artist, had a family history with this. But then, you know, through the course of their research realized like how how relevant these things are, you know, not just power plants, but other nuclear events that could happen, and these sort of broken arrow incidents where, where nuclear materials and nuclear weapons were were lost. And there's been several of those. And so, yeah, just getting people to kind of understand the continued relevance of this. You know it happened in the 1940s, but, you know, the survivors and their children are still dealing with this and these higher rates of cancer from these Hiroshima survivors. You know, but then just understanding that this is, you know, part of our world permanently, and we need to be grappling with that.
Interviewer: And you've already started talking about, like, answering these next questions, but I wondered if you could say more about when and where this experience happened, and who was involved besides you?
Participant: Yeah so this happened in the spring of 2019. I was involved, but it was, you know, I also have coworkers who helped me install it. It was the artist Kei, the sound artist Andrew, and then Kei's girlfriend, now wife, Liz, who, who also helped kind of come out for the installation. So, all of that, and then our education folks who helped kind of think about, you know, some of the programming that we could do around it. We actually had this really cool event with this woman who would had taken an oral history of World War II soldiers and we did a reading, a kind of like a dramatic reading, of, of experiences from the Pacific arena of World War 2 to to make this kind of continued relevance, and, you know, explain a little bit about both sides of the conflicts.
What were you thinking and feeling at different times throughout the process of interacting with the artwork?
Can you describe any high points, low points or challenges, or turning points along the way?
Interviewer: And then could you tell me a little bit about what you were thinking and feeling at different times throughout the process of interacting with this piece?
Participant: Yeah, I, I'm sorry I got a little friend here. Pride was a little bit a part of it, just being able to tell this story and bring this artist’s vision to life. And then, yeah, just a lot of, a lot of mixed feelings about, you know, the Hiroshima bombing. And if this was truly necessary as, you know, we are told in history class it was. You know, trying to complicate that narrative and see if it was actually like, you know, like-- so much of what we learn in history, we learn later is not really the case. And so trying to be aware of all of that. Yeah, and then just trying to be, you know, respectful of all the survivors going through this.
Interviewer: Great thank you. and then could you describe any high points, low points, or challenges, or turning points in your interaction with this piece?
Participant: I feel like it did change a little bit, you know, some of the high points were some some of our visitors were on the autism spectrum, and this exhibition in particular, was so appealing to their sensory experiences that they just they they spend a really long time there, and they just really enjoyed it. Like it wasn't bombarding them like, like some museum exhibitions can be, so that was definitely a high point. And then, not even a low point, but again, just thinking about, you know, this is, you know this is a person who is my age, this artist, and he knows that his family has a really high risk of cancer, always has. And then, if he has children, that child is going to carry that risk. And so just you know, thinking about that, like you know, having to make that decision, and you know how difficult that would be.
Let's talk about the impact of the artwork on you and your life.
What did you learn from the process of interacting with the artwork? Did you learn anything about yourself?
Interviewer: Mhm. Let's talk a little bit about the impact of this piece on you and your life. So what did you learn from the process of interacting with this piece? Did you learn anything about yourself?
Participant: Yeah, I, I definitely learned a little bit again, just about the physicality of the space I was working with, and how to really fill that and then, yeah, I learned more about this part of history. And then some of the, the continuing nuclear history that we have. Sorry, the dog is screaming at me, he’s a poodle so he’s like [inaudible]. And then, yeah, I just learned a little bit more [inaudible] about being trusting of artists in their vision and, and kind of giving them that freedom, you know. Because when I saw the piece originally it was mostly on the floor. And you know, when he came into our space, he was like we can really utilize these walls in some different ways. So again, it's just kind of more of a professional learning experience and growth from a thing. And yeah, just thinking about some of these narratives in history and [inaudible].
Do you think that the artists intended the work to affect others or the world in any particular ways?
Interviewer: Yeah, thank you, do you think that the artist intended for this work to affect others or the world in particular ways?
Participant: Yeah, yeah. I think, yeah, one of his goals is to get people thinking about ongoing nuclear issues, and you know, as a part of our precedent future rather than just something that happened in the past. Yeah, that's kind of one of the major themes of his work in this project, and then in a lot of others.
Did your experience with the artwork affect your understanding of others or the world?
Interviewer: Then did your experience with this piece affect your own understanding of other people or the world?
Participant: Yeah, yeah, it definitely made me consider, you know, the casualties of war in different ways. Because it's not just, you know, a soldier on each side. It's, you know, it's those generations, and how that's impacted, you know, with children and grandchildren and all of that. And so, just having to be more mindful of that in future conflicts. Not that I can, you know, make a decision about it, but it is, yeah I think it's important for all of us as citizens to be aware of that.
When some people think about themselves, they see parts of themselves as deeply true, real, or authentic.
If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about your true nature during the process of interacting with the artwork? Did you have any insights about your own authentic (or inauthentic) self?
Interviewer: And then this prompt is a little bit longer, I'll just go ahead and read it. So when some people think about themselves, they see some parts of themselves as deeply true, real, or authentic. If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about your true nature during the process of interacting with this piece? Did you have any insights about your own authentic or inauthentic self?
Participant: Yeah, I, I would say that in terms of like my authentic self, I think it just helped me have a more developed sense of empathy. And, you know, I think I can elaborate on that but even just ,just that statement, you know, this is a piece that really taps into that, both physically and then philosophically.
Interviewer: Would you like to elaborate on that?
Participant: Sure, yeah. So I think my empathy came from, from learning about this conflict and some of the complications around it. So, I, you know, I mentioned the artist, the photographer, and his impact and his history. But then the sound artist, his grandfather, helped develop the atomic bomb. And they were roommates, and they, they were like paired up randomly, and they didn't realize this. And so thinking about these random chances and you know how you never know what's going to happen, apparently like the first week that they were living together, it was like a larger group of people, and they were all having a chat about you know their history and how they ended up in an art school. This was at Maryland Institute, College of Micah, can't remember the acronym, but they were in art school. And you know, Kei shared his story about you know his grandfather, and how he might want to do a work about that. And then Andrew, the sound artist came in and said my grandfather helped build the atomic bomb, and so just wrestling with that, and, like you never know, like who in your life is going to be impacted by, you know, a variety of things, and you just have to have that level of empathy in, in all of your interactions, because you know, we all carry so much within us. And then I think just you know, on a professional level, my empathy, you know, for, for artists new in their careers who need, you know, who need exhibitions and who need work, and who need curators like myself to to give them opportunities, because that, I think really made an impact in both of their lives and both of their trajectories as artists. So, having that empathy as well, and then, you know, being supportive, supportive, and that for my artists. Let me go [inaudible].
Some people believe in ultimate meaning. This defined as deep, underlying meaning that transcends subjective personal meaning. It is about the nature of existence and identity, and it may include ideas about the significance of suffering as well as spirituality.
If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about ultimate meaning during the process of interacting with the artwork?
Interviewer: Okay, sure, yeah, thank you. So the next prompt is a little bit longer. Some people believe in ultimate meaning, this is defined as deep underlying meaning that transcends subjective personal meaning. It is about the nature of existence and identity and it may include ideas about the significance of suffering as well as spirituality. If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about ultimate meaning during the process of interacting with this piece?
Participant: It's, it's hard to say because I certainly don't really believe in an afterlife, but it's hard not to be confronted with that when you think about like all of these hundreds of thousands of innocent victims, and you know, you know, are their physical bodies just gone? And you know, certainly their stories are not gone and that can live on. So yeah, I, I certainly brought it, it made me think about that, but I don't know that I made any concrete decisions, or you know, leaning one way or the other. I think it just, you can't help but think about it.
Some people believe or perceive a reality beyond the physical or material world. This may include religious beliefs/experiences (such as perceived interactions with God) but also may include mystical or transcendent experiences, or interaction with spirits.
Did you have any kind of these experiences during the interaction with the artwork?
Interviewer: Sure yeah, okay, thank you. And then, so some people believe in or perceive a reality beyond the physical or material world. This may include religious beliefs and experiences, but may also include mystical or transcendent experiences or interaction with spirits. Did you have any of these kinds of experiences during the interaction with this piece?
Participant: Not, not really. I do think that again, I don't really believe in, you know, an afterlife or anything. But I just, I just thought, like, you know, these experiences that we have, and our histories are so important because of what we make of them, you know. And you know, maybe these artists would never have met and done this, and you know we wouldn't have had this show. But, you know it, I really just think, like we have our own autonomy, you know within this and just we, we make things meaningful
How old were you when you interacted with this piece?
How do you perceive the quality of this piece?
Interviewer: Great, thank you I just have a few quicker follow-up questions. So how old were you when you interacted with this piece?
Participant: Let's see, I would have been my early thirties I would say. It was, I think I was 33, no, I was 34.
Interviewer: Okay, and then how do you perceive the quality of this piece?
Participant: Very high, yeah.
Interviewer: Yeah, yeah, and then, did you want to say anything more about that?
Participant: No, no, I just, again, because I had such a physical interaction with the actual installation so I got up close and personal. It's because it's photosensitive paper, it's not necessarily archivable, but that's, that's the point of it actually. It’s not meant to be like just displayed on someone's wall in a frame. It's, it's meant to be, you know, as a part of this exhibition and experience for visitors. So it's, it's different than a lot of other types of photography in that way. It's not like, you know, for the market or commercial, but it, you know the actual quality is still very high.
Would you like to say anything about what was going on in your own life around the time that you interacted with this piece?
Interviewer: And then, would you like to say anything about what was going on in your own life around the time that you interacted with this piece?
Participant: Sure, I had been at my job for about a year, so I was getting settled in. I know that my husband and I had just gotten married. I think we were less than a year married, so still newlyweds. We actually adopted a dog in the process of the exhibition going on so that was really fun, and we invited the artists over for a little bonfire in our backyard, and they got to meet the dog. So that was really good, and it was just like, yeah, I feel like I was settling into things.
Interviewer: Yeah, that was great. Thank you so much.
The participant chose to discuss a piece called “Afterimage Requiem” by photographer Kei Ito. The piece consisted of life-sized photographs of the artist depicting himself as a victim of the Hiroshima bombing. The participant chose to discuss this piece as it evokes a lot of feelings and sensory experiences due to its large size and subject matter. They think that this medium of abstract photography is one not often seen, but is powerful in depicting concepts and feeling, making it unique. They were motivated to explore this piece when it was sent to them and they participated in the installation of the exhibition along with the artist, the artist’s girlfriend, the sound collaborator, and fellow coworkers. They believe the artist intends for the piece to express the artist’s own reckoning with his own familial history in relation to the Hiroshima bombing, while bringing awareness to the event and nuclear issues more generally.
Throughout the interaction, the participant felt prideful to be a part of bringing the artist’s vision to life, but felt mixed feelings about the bombing as it actually happened in comparison to what is taught in history classes. Some high points included visitors’ engagement with the work, such as those with Autism Spectrum Disorder enjoying the sensory experience. Lower points included reflecting on the impact of the bombing, such as the cancer risk associated with being a descendant of a survivor. This experience helped them learn about the physicality of art spaces, trusting an artist’s vision, and nuclear history. Regarding an understanding of others, it made them consider the casualties of war in different ways and the importance of being mindful in future conflicts. In terms of their authentic self, they feel like it helped them have a more developed sense of empathy. They acknowledge not believing in an afterlife, but noted that they couldn’t help thinking about it in terms of innocent lives being taken, where those people will only live on in stories. They emphasized believing that we have our own autonomy, where we are the ones who make things meaningful.
Interview Transcript
Introduction
Interviewer: And then, have you already chosen your artwork?
Participant: Yes, yeah, it's something that I curated a few years ago.
Description
Why did you choose this one? (Specialness)
Interviewer: Perfect, okay, yeah so we’ll be talking about your experience with that. And then to get started I just wanted to ask, so what is the artwork?
Participant: So, it's this artist who is a photographer named Kei Ito. His grandfather survived the Hiroshima bombing. And so he makes work with his body that's sort of been irradiated through generations. And he makes these like really, these life-size photographs of himself as if he was a victim of the Hiroshima bombing. So the piece is called “Afterimage Requiem.”
Interviewer: Great, and then do you have that with you, would you be able to share it?
Participant: Yeah, yeah, let me see, let me go to his website real quick. He’s a really active artist, so it should be pretty easy to see. Yeah. So let me share that in the chat.
Interviewer: Okay, perfect. And then could you describe the artwork for me?
Participant: Sure.
Interviewer: As to what the important details are?
Participant: So the important details are… There are a lot of photographs. There are, depending on the installation, like at least 60, and they're all like 6 feet. So they’re life size and like, think, like 2 or 3 feet wide and 6 feet tall. So they're all like human adult scale. And it's, you know, his body in various states as if he were, you know, blasted by an atomic bomb. But it's also, you know, knowing that background, it's like, you know that it's a living person but you can kind of see this, this echoing of the past throughout it. And it's like kind of like black paper, because it's photosensitive paper, and then the actual images of him are like kind of this yellowish, very golden color.
Interviewer: Great, and then why did you choose to talk about this for this study?
Participant: This piece? Because it, I think, evokes a lot of feelings and a lot of sensory experiences because it is so large. So it, you know, he, he installed them like several, like layers high, so it really envelops the space. He also worked with a sound artist so there's these like recordings, and so it's multi-sensory. Also, I did just write a recommendation for him so he was just in my head.
Interviewer: And then is there something about this genre or medium of art that's meaningful or distinguishing for you as compared to other art forms?
Participant: Yeah, so I think that it's abstract photography, which you don't really see a lot. Normally you see, photography as being very representational. You know, nature, or you know, people. But this is, you know, an artist who is using this medium of photography to get across these very abstract concepts and feeling, so that alone makes it unique. And then, you know, you can't help but think about the history behind such, you know, what led him here, what led his own personal history. And then you know, kind of our own reckoning with nuclear history which seems to be in the news a lot right now with, you know, all this stuff going on in Ukraine.
Interviewer: Thank you. And I was actually just called by the contractor so give me, yeah sorry about that.
Participant: No worries. I actually have my step-dad, doing some projects in the basement.
Process of Interacting
What led up to the interaction? What motivated you to explore this piece?
Was there something that needed to be expressed through the artwork?
When and where did the experience happen? Who was involved besides you?
Interviewer: Alright great yeah, thanks for your answer to that question. And now, could you please tell me about the experience and process of interacting with this art? So, what led up to this interaction? What motivated you to explore this piece?
Participant: So, a colleague of mine sent it to me in the mail, along with the story of this artist and his background. So, you know, this piece is different from perhaps other artists, because I actually, you know, helped install it, which was really cool. You know, we brought the artist out a few times along with his sound collaborator. And then they actually installed it and we, we realized really quickly that because they're so large we couldn't really frame them, cause that would just be ridiculously expensive. And also we wanted that immediacy so we ended up developing this magnet system. So, we actually went around like on a scissor lift and, and created, you know, like drill holes, and then used magnets to hang the piece, you know, top and bottom. And so my experience of the piece, you know, certainly, after it was installed and all the sound was up it was very different, but, but I also kind of really understood the physicality of it. And how you get a piece up, how you get, you know, these, these 6 foot things, 3x3 high up to like 20 feet on the wall. And and what the kind of dedication that takes, you know the the week of work of just, you know, installing those. And then we had pieces on the floor as well that we're kind of put just, not even attached to the floor, but just had rocks on them, and then you could kind of walk through it, and it was almost like walking through a cemetery with the different graves. And so that was really important to us too is, is thinking about how people approach it and making sure, like, okay, you know, this is like a weird shaped space. Is there enough room for like a wheelchair to get through without nicking the edges of everything? So the, the technical aspects of it. But then, yeah, also just the physicality. And then, once everything was up and the lights were really dim it was this very somber experience, and it did feel like you were, you were walking through, you know, a graveyard. But also, you know, there is not, you know, not recent, but you know, maybe like a historical graveyard, it wasn't like as immediate if that makes sense.
Interviewer: Yeah, thank you. And then do you think that there was something that wanted or needed to be expressed through this artwork?
Participant: Yeah, yeah. I think it's an artist reckoning with his own history. But then also, you know, both artists actually had, both, the, the photographer and the sound artist, had a family history with this. But then, you know, through the course of their research realized like how how relevant these things are, you know, not just power plants, but other nuclear events that could happen, and these sort of broken arrow incidents where, where nuclear materials and nuclear weapons were were lost. And there's been several of those. And so, yeah, just getting people to kind of understand the continued relevance of this. You know it happened in the 1940s, but, you know, the survivors and their children are still dealing with this and these higher rates of cancer from these Hiroshima survivors. You know, but then just understanding that this is, you know, part of our world permanently, and we need to be grappling with that.
Interviewer: And you've already started talking about, like, answering these next questions, but I wondered if you could say more about when and where this experience happened, and who was involved besides you?
Participant: Yeah so this happened in the spring of 2019. I was involved, but it was, you know, I also have coworkers who helped me install it. It was the artist Kei, the sound artist Andrew, and then Kei's girlfriend, now wife, Liz, who, who also helped kind of come out for the installation. So, all of that, and then our education folks who helped kind of think about, you know, some of the programming that we could do around it. We actually had this really cool event with this woman who would had taken an oral history of World War II soldiers and we did a reading, a kind of like a dramatic reading, of, of experiences from the Pacific arena of World War 2 to to make this kind of continued relevance, and, you know, explain a little bit about both sides of the conflicts.
What were you thinking and feeling at different times throughout the process of interacting with the artwork?
Can you describe any high points, low points or challenges, or turning points along the way?
Interviewer: And then could you tell me a little bit about what you were thinking and feeling at different times throughout the process of interacting with this piece?
Participant: Yeah, I, I'm sorry I got a little friend here. Pride was a little bit a part of it, just being able to tell this story and bring this artist’s vision to life. And then, yeah, just a lot of, a lot of mixed feelings about, you know, the Hiroshima bombing. And if this was truly necessary as, you know, we are told in history class it was. You know, trying to complicate that narrative and see if it was actually like, you know, like-- so much of what we learn in history, we learn later is not really the case. And so trying to be aware of all of that. Yeah, and then just trying to be, you know, respectful of all the survivors going through this.
Interviewer: Great thank you. and then could you describe any high points, low points, or challenges, or turning points in your interaction with this piece?
Participant: I feel like it did change a little bit, you know, some of the high points were some some of our visitors were on the autism spectrum, and this exhibition in particular, was so appealing to their sensory experiences that they just they they spend a really long time there, and they just really enjoyed it. Like it wasn't bombarding them like, like some museum exhibitions can be, so that was definitely a high point. And then, not even a low point, but again, just thinking about, you know, this is, you know this is a person who is my age, this artist, and he knows that his family has a really high risk of cancer, always has. And then, if he has children, that child is going to carry that risk. And so just you know, thinking about that, like you know, having to make that decision, and you know how difficult that would be.
Let's talk about the impact of the artwork on you and your life.
What did you learn from the process of interacting with the artwork? Did you learn anything about yourself?
Interviewer: Mhm. Let's talk a little bit about the impact of this piece on you and your life. So what did you learn from the process of interacting with this piece? Did you learn anything about yourself?
Participant: Yeah, I, I definitely learned a little bit again, just about the physicality of the space I was working with, and how to really fill that and then, yeah, I learned more about this part of history. And then some of the, the continuing nuclear history that we have. Sorry, the dog is screaming at me, he’s a poodle so he’s like [inaudible]. And then, yeah, I just learned a little bit more [inaudible] about being trusting of artists in their vision and, and kind of giving them that freedom, you know. Because when I saw the piece originally it was mostly on the floor. And you know, when he came into our space, he was like we can really utilize these walls in some different ways. So again, it's just kind of more of a professional learning experience and growth from a thing. And yeah, just thinking about some of these narratives in history and [inaudible].
Do you think that the artists intended the work to affect others or the world in any particular ways?
Interviewer: Yeah, thank you, do you think that the artist intended for this work to affect others or the world in particular ways?
Participant: Yeah, yeah. I think, yeah, one of his goals is to get people thinking about ongoing nuclear issues, and you know, as a part of our precedent future rather than just something that happened in the past. Yeah, that's kind of one of the major themes of his work in this project, and then in a lot of others.
Did your experience with the artwork affect your understanding of others or the world?
Interviewer: Then did your experience with this piece affect your own understanding of other people or the world?
Participant: Yeah, yeah, it definitely made me consider, you know, the casualties of war in different ways. Because it's not just, you know, a soldier on each side. It's, you know, it's those generations, and how that's impacted, you know, with children and grandchildren and all of that. And so, just having to be more mindful of that in future conflicts. Not that I can, you know, make a decision about it, but it is, yeah I think it's important for all of us as citizens to be aware of that.
When some people think about themselves, they see parts of themselves as deeply true, real, or authentic.
If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about your true nature during the process of interacting with the artwork? Did you have any insights about your own authentic (or inauthentic) self?
Interviewer: And then this prompt is a little bit longer, I'll just go ahead and read it. So when some people think about themselves, they see some parts of themselves as deeply true, real, or authentic. If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about your true nature during the process of interacting with this piece? Did you have any insights about your own authentic or inauthentic self?
Participant: Yeah, I, I would say that in terms of like my authentic self, I think it just helped me have a more developed sense of empathy. And, you know, I think I can elaborate on that but even just ,just that statement, you know, this is a piece that really taps into that, both physically and then philosophically.
Interviewer: Would you like to elaborate on that?
Participant: Sure, yeah. So I think my empathy came from, from learning about this conflict and some of the complications around it. So, I, you know, I mentioned the artist, the photographer, and his impact and his history. But then the sound artist, his grandfather, helped develop the atomic bomb. And they were roommates, and they, they were like paired up randomly, and they didn't realize this. And so thinking about these random chances and you know how you never know what's going to happen, apparently like the first week that they were living together, it was like a larger group of people, and they were all having a chat about you know their history and how they ended up in an art school. This was at Maryland Institute, College of Micah, can't remember the acronym, but they were in art school. And you know, Kei shared his story about you know his grandfather, and how he might want to do a work about that. And then Andrew, the sound artist came in and said my grandfather helped build the atomic bomb, and so just wrestling with that, and, like you never know, like who in your life is going to be impacted by, you know, a variety of things, and you just have to have that level of empathy in, in all of your interactions, because you know, we all carry so much within us. And then I think just you know, on a professional level, my empathy, you know, for, for artists new in their careers who need, you know, who need exhibitions and who need work, and who need curators like myself to to give them opportunities, because that, I think really made an impact in both of their lives and both of their trajectories as artists. So, having that empathy as well, and then, you know, being supportive, supportive, and that for my artists. Let me go [inaudible].
Some people believe in ultimate meaning. This defined as deep, underlying meaning that transcends subjective personal meaning. It is about the nature of existence and identity, and it may include ideas about the significance of suffering as well as spirituality.
If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about ultimate meaning during the process of interacting with the artwork?
Interviewer: Okay, sure, yeah, thank you. So the next prompt is a little bit longer. Some people believe in ultimate meaning, this is defined as deep underlying meaning that transcends subjective personal meaning. It is about the nature of existence and identity and it may include ideas about the significance of suffering as well as spirituality. If this idea resonates with you, did you learn anything about ultimate meaning during the process of interacting with this piece?
Participant: It's, it's hard to say because I certainly don't really believe in an afterlife, but it's hard not to be confronted with that when you think about like all of these hundreds of thousands of innocent victims, and you know, you know, are their physical bodies just gone? And you know, certainly their stories are not gone and that can live on. So yeah, I, I certainly brought it, it made me think about that, but I don't know that I made any concrete decisions, or you know, leaning one way or the other. I think it just, you can't help but think about it.
Some people believe or perceive a reality beyond the physical or material world. This may include religious beliefs/experiences (such as perceived interactions with God) but also may include mystical or transcendent experiences, or interaction with spirits.
Did you have any kind of these experiences during the interaction with the artwork?
Interviewer: Sure yeah, okay, thank you. And then, so some people believe in or perceive a reality beyond the physical or material world. This may include religious beliefs and experiences, but may also include mystical or transcendent experiences or interaction with spirits. Did you have any of these kinds of experiences during the interaction with this piece?
Participant: Not, not really. I do think that again, I don't really believe in, you know, an afterlife or anything. But I just, I just thought, like, you know, these experiences that we have, and our histories are so important because of what we make of them, you know. And you know, maybe these artists would never have met and done this, and you know we wouldn't have had this show. But, you know it, I really just think, like we have our own autonomy, you know within this and just we, we make things meaningful
How old were you when you interacted with this piece?
How do you perceive the quality of this piece?
Interviewer: Great, thank you I just have a few quicker follow-up questions. So how old were you when you interacted with this piece?
Participant: Let's see, I would have been my early thirties I would say. It was, I think I was 33, no, I was 34.
Interviewer: Okay, and then how do you perceive the quality of this piece?
Participant: Very high, yeah.
Interviewer: Yeah, yeah, and then, did you want to say anything more about that?
Participant: No, no, I just, again, because I had such a physical interaction with the actual installation so I got up close and personal. It's because it's photosensitive paper, it's not necessarily archivable, but that's, that's the point of it actually. It’s not meant to be like just displayed on someone's wall in a frame. It's, it's meant to be, you know, as a part of this exhibition and experience for visitors. So it's, it's different than a lot of other types of photography in that way. It's not like, you know, for the market or commercial, but it, you know the actual quality is still very high.
Would you like to say anything about what was going on in your own life around the time that you interacted with this piece?
Interviewer: And then, would you like to say anything about what was going on in your own life around the time that you interacted with this piece?
Participant: Sure, I had been at my job for about a year, so I was getting settled in. I know that my husband and I had just gotten married. I think we were less than a year married, so still newlyweds. We actually adopted a dog in the process of the exhibition going on so that was really fun, and we invited the artists over for a little bonfire in our backyard, and they got to meet the dog. So that was really good, and it was just like, yeah, I feel like I was settling into things.
Interviewer: Yeah, that was great. Thank you so much.
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