Hello everyone,
Today marks the day of KteoDesigns first event which I call “Breaking down Barriers” this was constructed as an experiment to develop my communicating through jewellery project (see https://kteodesigns.wordpress.com/2017/05/08/how-to-communicate-with-people-and-break-down-that-awkward-barrier/).
From there I took the decision to enhance this experience by making it a bigger event and open it up to the public for them to contribute there real memories through painting or sticking down collages and breaking down that communication barrier through memories of the past and talking about it. I then contacted Goma as I read there was this “canceled” exhibition by Marie Mul who opened the space out to the public looking for quirky proposals so I submitted mine (didnt think I would get it) but by golly you just need to be passionate enough to make it sound like a realistic idea. The best part is that the whole space was FREE!!!
I then began the process of making a memory tree which took about a couple of day drawing and painting a big ‘o’ tree onto two A1 cardboard flat boxes.
The next process was to cut out these shapes which I was initially in two minds about as I wanted to re-use this tree for future event but in the end I decided to cut out the off cuts out to give the user more interactive “please take” experience.
I then made posters to promote it on social media and outside as well talking to art stores to convince them to hang them up and some local pubs as well 😉
I then decided it would be good to get some feedback for this event so I made little trees for future comments to be placed on the tables. This to ensure for future events if anything needs to be improved or stay the same.
Once I dug out old paints and paper and brushes I felt like my explanation alone wouldnt be clear enough and I know when explaining things how the mind can take it in and it disappears in a moment so by having instruction on the table and a little brief would be a good tool to have for people to refer back to when painting or sticking down a memory.
Finally the event today ended up I having more people than expected which was such a great turn out and everyones memories ended up having a connection which was strange yet expected as i believed memories were connected but now it has been proven through this event. I ended up finding three memories in common; cats, politics (mainly about Trump!) and alot of individual international experiences when coming to Glasgow for the first time. One memory which stood out to me which is when I attracted a homeless woman who had personality disorder and just wanted to express herself and her feelings of how people had treated her. I felt this really gave her a voice today to show how she was feeling and not to treat people so disrespectfully. Im glad she came in 🙂
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Overall Im glad my event managed to bring in strangers talking to each other mainly adults which I was surprised at. This gave them a sense of therapy and confidence and perhaps a found freedom through art and expressing themselves. Hopefully I can use this to make jewellery using these memories as conversational pieces but we shall see what happens in the future of 4th year (good god !!!)
Kimmy xxx
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