The Memoir Effect
A contemporary installation created by the people, for the people. Collecting data from all over the world, I was able to create a community of stories from many individuals and how the year 2020 has impacted their lives. Take a sneak peak and immerse yourself in the world of others, without necessarily having to be physically with them.
Due to the nature of this being done when I was a student, the website I coded no longer exists, but I made sure to take videos, images and also documented all of this with a book I created. This was my senior thesis, I really wanted to explore the connection between how photography and design worked and evolved together, especially in a world where everything was so digital. I used both my digital brain and my analog brain and created a 3D interactive space.
In a spam of a whole year, I recorded people from all over the world, because now we could, we had access to a platform that allowed us to interact with anyone and everyone. Where I could, I photographed the individuals with my hassleblad and for the people that I couldn’t photograph, I gave them instructions and had them take thier own selfies. For the people I didnt interview directly, I created a google form sheet that people could fill out and do on their own time, it allowed my project to live on beyond my thesis, and become a place where everyone and anyone could write, could take a portrait, and could become apart of the installation.
Some people have passed, some have changed, some have moved, and I think even in 2026, 6 years later, the question still remains.
What are you most grateful for?
ROLE
Art Direction, Photography + Research, VR + Code, Installation, 3D Design in Collaboration with Diego Solis
Polaroids
I went and photographed everyone I could and asked them a single question. What are you most grateful for in the year 2020? Along with a portrait, I was able to capture everyones questions and handwriting. I took over 250 Polaroids, here are small snippets!
3D interactive Space
In partnership with Diego Solis, I knew that because it was covid, we didn’t have the safety to create a gallery for the individuals to see the work in person. So we brought the gallery to them and created a 3D environmental gallery that evoked the feeling of being in an industrial space but surrounded and overgrown by nature, which was a direct reflection of what was happening to the world in front of our eyes. Here is the FULL gallery along with some stills to see the full scope.
The Memoir Effect Book
For the individuals where I could speak to in person, I created a book and was able to distribute this when it was safe to do so, this book followed the same structure as the website, and also included the individuals who did the google survery, Every single person who touched this project, made it what it is.
Massive Thank you
To every single person who participated in this project, I think to date, this is the most proudest I’ve ever felt of a moment, especially with all the chaos that came with it. I was able to reach people from all around then world. Detroit, Miami, Portland, Texas, London, Australia, France, South Africa, and many more. Without these individuals, this project could have not gotten as big as what it was. Thank YOU!