Fiona Du, Kiara Li
My voice
Class of: 2027
Major: Fashion Design BFA
Medium: Video, a combination of multiple media
Faculty: Niberca (Gigi) Lluberes-Polo
Prompt: PEER TO PEER Version: AY 23/24 Parsons School of Design – INTEGRATIVE STUDIO 1 Bridge 2: Navigating the Social Storytelling in Still Frames STUDIO: In pairs, students interview one another to understand their partner’s social identity when migrating to a new place. In that, students create an object around their partner’s alter-ego developed on Bridge 1. How would these two objects, when sharing a space, interact with one another in the real-unreal world? In physical and virtual worlds? *Students explore social media and gaming cultures as sources of inspiration and use their seminar podcast to drive their narrative around these objects.
For our studio project, we formed teams of two, creating two pieces each inspired by the other’s Bridget
projects, centered around the theme of ‘alter egos.’ The project aimed to explore self-expression and interviews to understand social identities amidst migration. Despite my partner and I being from the same country, our diverse experiences and personalities added complexity to our exploration of how we respond to new environments.
My comfort in real-life social situations contrasted with my partner’s alter ego, revealing her as a slower and more secure person online. Her initial experiences in the United States left her feeling confused, uncertain, and nervous. Motivated by a desire to fit in quickly and make her voice heard, this became the central theme of our collaborative project.
To convey this narrative, I constructed an interactive installation using electronics, drawings, and a simple megaphone to express my partner’s perceived self-image. The installation, comprising two interconnected artworks, showcased her evolving inner world through three of her favorite sounds, illustrating how she expressed herself and connected with others in her safety zone.
In symbolizing the gradual process of personal transformation, I integrated sensory elements of hearing, touch, and sight into the installation. Each small box represented a step in the journey, featuring ears, eyes, and hands. The challenge of encapsulating this transformative process into a visual and auditory experience was both stimulating and rewarding. A video capturing the essence of our collaborative exploration is included at the end of this Learning Portfolio.