This past week I had the pleasure of asking fellow Selection Committee member Lindsay Flinker questions about the “Tunnel of Oppression”. As well as being a part of the Selection Committee this semester, Lindsay joined the Artivism— Art + Activism —Committee and helped with the planning and creation of The Lighter’s presentation for the “Tunnel of Oppression”. Continue reading to find out more about the “Tunnel of Oppression”, The Lighter’s contribution, and Lindsay’s thoughts on it…
Q: What is the Tunnel of Oppression?
A:The “Tunnel of Oppression” is a program put on by the university, where organizations present the experiences of different populations (often oppressed as the title suggests) and exhibits that allow participants to learn about and begin to understand experiences that others have. As you walk through the tunnel you begin to foster a sense of empathy for those struggling in our world and perhaps an idea of the ways that you can help.
Q: How did The Lighter contribute?
A: Recently, The Lighter has been starting to play with the idea of Artivism, or Art Activism, and its purpose in creating change and promoting healing. Our Editor, Emily Neuharth, explained it with a quote by Wangechi Mutu that says, "Art allows you to imbue the truth with a sort of magic...so it can infiltrate the psyches of more people, including those who don't believe the same things as you."
With this in mind, The Lighter contributed a little differently than other groups participating. Instead of focusing on an oppressed population and creating some sort of exploratory exhibit, we created a reflective project that tunnel participants could interact with. We wanted participants to take their experiences of the tunnel and of life and think about how they identify themselves in this world, not with traditional societal identities but what makes them uniquely them. We supplied a board with placed nails and asked participants to select a color of yarn and wrap it around the nails in a way that reflects something about themselves. By the end of the tunnel's exhibition, we had a collection of uniquely individual strings placed working together to create one intricate web of yarn. Individually, these threads were unique and important, but together, they also make a complex and beautiful piece of art. Despite all of our different experiences and identities, we as a whole can make something wonderful.
Q: What were your responsibilities within the Artivism group?
A: My responsibilities within the Artivism group involved essentially helping to make sure this project was done. I helped out by attending a meeting with Emily and our "Tunnel Liaison" so we could discuss getting the project from ideas to fruition, suggesting alternatives when challenged by building and tunnel rules, and what I think is most important for the project- providing the hammer that we used to place the nails in the board.
Q: What do you feel is important about The Lighter or any school organization participating in an event like the Tunnel of Oppression? What do you like about it?
A: I think the important thing about various organizations participating in an event like the “Tunnel of Oppression” is that it helps bring to the surface what various groups on campus care about and bringing attention to that. For instance, at The Lighter, we care about people being who they are and being unique individuals, expressing their true selves, the tunnel helped give a platform for sharing this. On our small campus alone, there are so many causes and issues that students, staff, and faculty care about and it's important for them to use the tunnel as an opportunity to shine a light on them and give them a voice.
As I went through the tunnel, aside from having my eyes opened to different issues, I was amazed at how much our students care. The depth of research, as well as the development of creating exhibits that will allow participants to be immersed in an experience, was surprising to me. I loved that people on our campus wanted to put so much heart and passion into displaying issues that they cared about in a way that wasn't just going to make someone read a sign and move on but perhaps foster change. While perhaps our campus is small, we have a lot of people who just want to see the world become a better place and the tunnel was a great opportunity to showcase that.
Thank you, Lindsay!
Interested in seeing the finished beautiful yarn art that came out as a product of this event? Look no further!
Stay Creative!
~Alexis