This project was a conceptual exploration of light for the shadow theatre. This mechanism utilized a concave mirror in order to capture filtered images of U Street and the surrounding area. These images were curated to follow a narrative of a fictional person occupying the site. The images are designed to be interactive, to illustrate the difference between the protagonist's memory, the reality of the physical site, and the experience of both the physical and immaterial in present time.
"After all her children and grandchildren left the city, the only thing that keeps Mary alive is her short walk from her place on 15th and U, to the Bakehouse on T. It is not even half a mile, but she still has to stop at least four or five times. It has been long since the place turned into a cafe, like every other bakery in town. She knows the owners. Her chats with them are a close second on the list of things that keep her alive. She might be the last customer who goes there for a simple loaf of bread instead of going to a grocery store. She is living proof that old habits die hard."
"One of her stops is always in front of Bella's house to see her beautiful garden, which was always a world of its own."
"She does not live there anymore."
"The ground was always covered under Bella's flowers..."
"She always stretches out her hand to touch the ground that was always covered under Bella's flowers, as if her memory of sense of smell depended on her sense of touch."