I am stoked to introduce the latest project I was part of, “You Need Our Eyes to See Us,” a captivating exploration that combines historical objects and contemporary stories through a multisensory, poetic experience. This project as a pilot and prototype has been supported by the Digital Culture Programme of the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
Collaborating with two accomplished poets, Emelihter Kihleng and Hinemoana Baker, our team found inspiration in photos of objects from an Oceania collection. Emelihter, a curator, scholar and poet from Pohnpei, Micronesia, contributes her knowledge of textiles and indigenous writing. Hinemoana, a writer, researcher and performance artist from Aotearoa New Zealand, offers her extensive background in original music, experimental sound and published poetry. Together, we referred to these objects as “treasures” in poets’ own languages and composed a series of poems called “You Need Our Eyes to See Us.” Our aim was to connect the past with the present in an engaging and meaningful manner.
The outcome is an interactive collection of mixed media poems in video format called “ynoetsu.” The audience is guided through phrases from these poems, utilising them as metadata to generate semi-random mixed media pieces. Each piece integrates multiple versions of media, including text, the author’s voice, ambient sound and video footage of the author and the environment from which the objects originated. Our project focuses on creating an emotional impact by fusing pseudo-randomness with the rich history of these treasured objects. By moving away from traditional hierarchies, we offer our audience a unique, multisensory experience that connects the past and the present.
Join us on this immersive journey and explore the melding of history and new media art through “You Need Our Eyes to See Us,” a creative collaboration with Emelihter Kihleng and Hinemoana Baker.
