HER VOICE, 
SUSPENDED IN MEMORY

Her Voice, Suspended in Memory is a project inspired by oral histories. Much of our contemporary life is shaped by what has happened in the past, yet, there are many stories from our history that remain to be heard. In this project, I wanted to approach the theme of unknown (or lesser known) stories within Toronto, and create a space for those unheard voices to be brought to the forefront.
 

In researching this project, I found the story of Velma Demerson through Adam Bunch’s The Toronto Book of Love. Moved by her deeply tragic story, a product of a cruel and inhumane Act, I created a script that would be narrated to the installation user.

In keeping the installation as simple as possible, the focus is on sound – and the utilization of it and memory triggers emotion, and allows the users to paint a picture within their own heads, with a minimal need for visual exposition. The only photographs that were used were ones that are more specific to the story, and that may be harder to visualise without any external aid.

Divided into two physical components, the suspended plexiglass disc, which was typically blank except for
the brief moments of projected imagery, created space for users to focus on, meditate and immerse
themselves into the story that was narrated to them through the headphones. The second component was the foot switch that controlled the playback of the video. The interaction required uninterrupted force to prevent the video from stopping, ensuring a relationship between the user and the story. In encouraging an intentionality to make space, stop and listen, the users are able to leave the installation with an impact on their physical selves– to almost carry with them the burden of her story as they live out the rest of their day.