Placeholder
2020 | Monica Anna Day
Placeholder
Of the many ways we are different, there is one thing all humans share: bodies. And a body that is out of place is a body that feels no peace. Placeholder will facilitate a conversation directly with bodies that have been impacted by displacement. We will explore how bodies experience “place” from three angles: 1) What are the markers, the boundaries and the signifiers of emplacement? 2) What is the impact of displacement? 3) How do we adapt and re-place ourselves when necessary? This project begins by gathering sensorial data from individuals of displaced groups, and then assembles and shares the data in the format of an artistic exhibit and performance. By allowing the wisdom of the body to speak in the visceral language of art, fresh ideas and new solutions to the challenges of displacement may emerge.
Creative Team:
Placeholder straddles two worlds, academic research and artistic expression, as does the creative team. Lead researcher/artist Monica Anna Day regularly uses creativity to inspire personal transformation, peacebuilding and social justice. Her expertise is in literary arts and creating sensory experiences, and she is also a master’s degree candidate in International Peace and Conflict Resolution at Arcadia University. Her advisor and program director Dr. Warren Hafar will oversee the academic aspect of the project. Rounding out the team are two visual artists who will assist in translating the raw sensory data into visual art. Oju Ayọ is a Brooklyn-based artist, intuitive face painter, and creator of Dragon Coloring Meditation Journal Series. She holds a bachelor’s in art with a concentration in psychology. Stefanie Menack is a NJ-based multimedia intuitive artist with a B.Sc. Hons. in Psychology with a minor in Fine Art and Design from Middlesex University in the UK.
