Our New Reality: An Interactive Art Installation

Student

Claire Whitesell

College(s)

College of Arts and Letters

Faculty Advisor

Gary Sczerbaniewicz

Class Year

2019

Art has traditionally served to solidify social order through intentional, repeated use of imagery. In contemporary democratic societies art not only functions to maintain social order and to describe the world, but also to explore issues of social justice, identity, and freedom. Most people agree that art alone cannot change society. However, art does give a voice and form to societal needs, thus motivating and sustaining social movements.

Through my capstone project I hoped to ignite emotion and action in my viewers. I created an installation that allowed the viewer to see/experience what the effects of climate change would be as we continued down the current path. My project aimed to provide a sensory experience of climate change and immerse the viewer in our stark reality. Forced to come face to face with these phenomenons, I hoped to inspire a social change that hopefully led to a personal interest in the cause and ultimately positive action.