Internet Quilt
Creators: Denisha, Adriel, Ian, Carlos, Angelo, Jhon, and Ahssan
School: High School Students from Beam Center
About this Project
Internet Quilt is a project created in Digital Futures, an experimental youth-led research program at Beam Center. We explored our personal histories online as well as researched larger narratives in the digital world. We discussed the past, questioned the present, and predicted the future of social spaces online and how they affect us. We created research questions through a hands on brainstorming process. And finally, we expressed that knowledge and documented our research by creating an Internet Quilt. Our interactive Internet Quilt was pieced together from cyanotypes with QR codes linking to our handmade HTML websites, cyanotyped screenshots of digital memories, machine embroidery, airbrush, cut vinyl, woodblock printing, and fabric collage. The finished installation is on display on Governors Island.
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What the Judges are Saying
I am very impressed by your choice of building a quilt with your research and narratives and that it is displayed on Governor's Island. Your team very clearly outlined your project and your process from beginning to end. I am wondering if your research questions could be more thought provoking and get you more data around your statement of, "Predicting the future of social spaces online and how they affect us". For example, you might ask, "How has social media influenced young people in our society to take action on social issues" You did a really nice job of capturing your research around snap chat and instagram. Capturing your images in cyanotype was a nice balance with more modern modes of expression like webpages and QR Codes.
It's really interesting that this project is part quilt IRL and part collection of webpages. The work reflects the dichotomy between life in and out of digital spaces just as our lives are now in and out of digital spaces. It creates an interesting impact that would be difficult to match if the project were only online. It's neat that you included an interactive survey. There was also an element of exploration when following each QR code, not knowing where it would lead. And I learned some things about the history of instagram! Good work!
What an amazingly creative approach that combines tactile artistry with thoughtful reflection on technology- bravo! A quilt or tapestry can be such a time capsule of the creators experiences, memories and stories. Using this process as a way to reflect on your personal digital histories really takes the essence of this art form into a modern technological setting in a way I haven't seen before.
I especially enjoyed reading your webpage entries, seeing your personalities shine through and relating them to my own experiences online. I'd love to know more about how I (or other users) can get involved in making their own digital tapestries, or contribute to the conversation on your theme question. At my library we've done a lot of sew-able circuit programs, and this would be an amazing way to take those classes to the next level!
Your creativity and innovation are displayed beautifully in this project, I hope you continue adding to your quilt and taking on the big questions about our digital experiences!
I especially enjoyed reading your webpage entries, seeing your personalities shine through and relating them to my own experiences online. I'd love to know more about how I (or other users) can get involved in making their own digital tapestries, or contribute to the conversation on your theme question. At my library we've done a lot of sew-able circuit programs, and this would be an amazing way to take those classes to the next level!
Your creativity and innovation are displayed beautifully in this project, I hope you continue adding to your quilt and taking on the big questions about our digital experiences!
This is such an impressive, innovative project! Quilts have long been used to express stories about a person's culture or creativity, and it's so cool how you took an old practice and made it something very modern. I also love that you took what could have just been a beautiful piece of art to display, and turned it into something even more engaging and interactive. I know if I walked by this quilt, I would stop to look at it and would be so intrigued that I'd have to visit every QR code to learn more! It was also really fun to read about your first memories of using the internet, or other digital technology. It's kind of crazy to think about there being a time in our lives when we hadn't yet been online! As a next step, I'd love to see some though-provoking questions on each of your pages that could help visitors reflect on their own digital identities and histories!
Superb work! I'll definitely be on the lookout out for this when I visit Governor's Island this summer!
Superb work! I'll definitely be on the lookout out for this when I visit Governor's Island this summer!
Community Feedback
Jaynai 👏 a High School Student from Bronx, NY
Why did you chose Internet Quilt as your project?
