Dialogue
Interactive light box, smeared medical books, handwritten poem, reconstructed handmade paper, screen, laser-engraved acrylic sheet
Dialogue explores the mother-daughter relationship woven through the discourse of illness, a process woven with confusion and understanding, separation and intimacy. Beyond the mother-daughter identity, it's a journey of two women coming to know each other's bodies, pain, and freedom. It consists of four sub-works: "We just saw each other," "Could you see me," "Don't be," and "You never see green".
“We Just Saw Each Other”: This phrase is printed on a light box covered in mirrored paper. When someone walks in and sees their reflection, a built-in sensor illuminates the light box, revealing the collage underneath.
“Could You See Me”: My mother was an endocrinologist. I covered a page from her old book, Practical Obstetrics Gynaecology, that describing a suspected condition I have, with gaudy pink acrylic, matching the spine to mimic a woman's thigh. I also handwrote a poem in a triangle in the gap.
"Don't / be": Two sheets of recycled handmade paper, made from a pulp blend of various bill stubs my mother collected and my random diary pages. One sheet is printed with "Don't," the other with various emotional terms like "be sensitive," "be excited," "be depressed," and "be ecstatic."
"You Never See Green": My mother is blue-green color blind and always uses the two words interchangeably. On a green screen, a blue acrylic panel was engraved with these words, letting the green light filter through. I was curious about what was in her eyes, but I couldn't tell.