For my final Studio project, I explored the notion of liminality through my experience during the pandemic. There were two requirements: one analog deliverable and one digital.
I decided to look into my transition from my home, Manila, to Boston.
While traveling during a global pandemic was strenuous in its own right, here, I attempted to visualize my current mental state while navigating and acclimating to a foreign land.
For context, the distinction in Philippine and American Culture is stark. I grew up on American film, TV, music, and such, so I assumed I would have a smooth transition. But I cannot emphasize enough just how mistaken I was now that I am here. I’ve learned that it demands constant acknowledgment and effort to adjust when uncertainty clouds everything I know. Often, I find myself in limbo — in a location between two worlds existing on opposite corners of my brain.
The goal now was to conceive that liminal environment, my so-called limbo.
I then proceeded to create digital collages comprised of 2 main elements. The first being black and white photographs that I clipped from vintage videos, depicting Filipinos and ordinary Philippine life. These were to represent Manila, the old, and where I come from. The second being colorful, abstract shapes to suggest the contemporary. I imagined that if I combined these two elements, I could actualize the liminal headspace that constantly follows me.
For the analog version, I turned each digital collage into physical cutouts.
I then developed AR components for each of these collages to fulfill the digital requirement of the project. To view this, spectators were prompted to download the Artivive app by scanning the QR code located in the description (pictured above).
