BECOMING:
AN INSTALLATION
In answer to the resounding question of our post-pandemic world, "where do we put all the pain and isolation lingering inside ourselves?" BECOMING has its roots first and foremost in human connection. It’s a beautiful story about asking someone to be your friend, the power of collaboration, and making art that invites others to participate so everyone can become better humans and let go of shame and guilt.
Julia and Mallory had a few common friends and met briefly at an outdoor art reception during the pandemic. After following each other on social media, the two realized that Julia's visual art and Mallory's writing often touched on similar themes. They met for drinks in late April, talked for three hours, and knew they should dream up a project for ArtWeek in late June. They continued to meet and bounce ideas off each other and wandered spaces until the perfect tree canopies were found - ones that could encapsulate the transformative environment they wanted to create. They experimented with materials in suburbia and drew stares and whispers from neighbors, but they were undeterred. Julia and Mallory knew they could create something better and more powerful together than they could alone, and they realized this project was borne out of their own need to deal with shame and grief. 2020 and 2021 compounded those feelings for many of us and it is this notion that drives the project — that if two people who just found each other both need this space, then others must need it as well. Stay tuned to see how the story continues to unfold!
From creators Mallory Abreu and Julia Franklin
Becoming (2021)
Becoming (2022)
