Before I Die...
Type: Art Installation/ Panel Discussion
Role: Project Manager, The Kefi Project
Client: The Interfaith Council
Location: Nashville, TN
Status: Completed, September 2013
Project Details
What is important to you? - Any conversation that invokes the contemplation of death can be an unsettling process; but sometimes becoming unsettled can create unexpected moments of intimacy. Inspired by the work of artist Candy Chang. "Before I Die" invites strangers to contemplate their most intimate thoughts in public.
The installation invites strangers to complete the phase, "Before I die I want to..." As users survey the responses provided by their peers, as well as contribute to the wall themselves, they participate in this moment of reflection and share in a conversation with the rest of the campus. The piece appeared on the Vanderbilt University campus from August 28 - September 14, 2013. It was created in partnership with the Interfaith Council and was accompanied by a panel discussion entitled "Living Before Dying," held in Alumni Hall Lounge on Tuesday, September 10 at 6pm.
This installation marked the beginning of the Kefi project, an organization I founded in 2013 dedicated to the creation of public art at the Vanderbilt Campus.
Living Before Dying:
The Kefi Project brought the "Living Before Dying" event to Vanderbilt University on September 10, 2013. The panel discussion featured speakers Dr. John Lachs, Dr. Michael Alec Rose, Professor Michael Aurbach and Dr. Norbert Ross with moderator Reverend Mark Forrester. The piece, in connection with the "Before I Die" art project and in partnership with the Interfaith Council, discussed the interplay of life, society, philosophy, and religion in achieving a fulfilling life.
The video below is Candy Chung speaking at a TED Talk in Edinburgh, Scotland about the story behind the Before I Die art piece.