BUT YOURS ISN’T HERE [HUMAN CONTACT]

 

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This project was inspired by the old practice that when a loved one died, family and friends would cut a lock of the deceased’s hair at the funeral in order to keep their memory. In response to this, I sent out a call on social media asking my friends for lock of their hair, with no explanation besides that it would be included in an art installation. My one rule was that I could not ask a specific person for a contribution, I could only address a general group. This was a very personal project in a time of my life of extreme transition with the people I was close with. I had a realization that after just moving to New York I had this need to know who from home still has a desire to remain close with me.

In the end I was surprised by the kind of responses I received. Many were new friends I had made here, and people from home that I was never extremely close with. I was grateful to those who had participated, but I couldn’t help but be disappointed by the people who didn’t respond to the call. I had originally envisioned this as a dedication to those who had participated, but it became a dedication to those who were missing. I think this was because the important people from home would be afraid that sending me a lock of their hair would mean something more than just participating in my art. (And I might have.) I left many holes missing for these people.

I wanted to create a domestic space in order to keep the locks sentimental, and stay away it from discharging this associated memory. I hope that I will be able to recreate this space in multiple settings in the future.

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