Sofia Negron
La Mesa
Prompt: Choose a subject connected to memory in a broader cultural sense: a historical event, a cultural figure, a movement, or a memory site here in New York City. From that research, create a memorial work in any medium that explores how memory is shaped, represented, and kept alive.
My subject is how culture is shared and passed down through generations.This memorial takes the form of a domino table. This specific type of table represents how different parts of culture are linked and supported within a third space. It reflects the Caribbean diaspora and how it has always been interconnected across people and generations. This piece fits the assignment by using a functional object that is symbolic. The domino table is meant to be played. My intention was to invite the audience into the space and let them experience my culture by teaching them how to play the game. I wanted to show how traditions are carried through shared moments and how identity is shaped through those repeated gatherings. Working with wood brought me back to Bridge 1, which felt like coming full circle. The process of building it connected directly to my late grandfather who was a carpenter. The cutting, sanding, and fitting pieces together drew out muscle memory that I honestly forgot that I even had. The studio process became a way of confronting my grief and turning it into something physical. The project was also fueled by doubt from my professors and my need to prove them wrong. That motivation stayed present throughout the project. In the end, the table holds both cultural meaning and personal memory, showing how pain and tradition exist in the same structure.