Aoife Brief: 

Stacked Up: a counter-monument seeking to critique the criminal justice system that proves itself a failure to communities of color and their futures in America.The installation visualizes the entry point into the criminal justice system and highlights how this system disproportionately targets and impacts people of color. 

Since the abolishment of slavery, white and powerful Americans have been finding ways to once again enslave and take advantage of people of color. Whether it be the 13th Amendment prison-slavery loophole, the "War on Drugs" that imprisoned black men at a 100:1 ratio to white men, or  killing unarmed hooded black children in the name of the law, the criminal justice system continues to marginalize and fail people of color. 

Stacked Up tells the story of people who have been targeted by systematic and institutionalized racism by showing a mix of statistics, biographies, and symbols. Users can reach their hands into the dark bed of the all white vehicle through the back window, take a scroll and read a biography about the young  men and women of color who have been wronged by or stuck in the  criminal justice system. The goal is to educate the general public about people who are dehumanized and silenced, and to give voice to their lived experiences. It  highlights how systematic racism is a pervasive issue that needs to be addressed and ended.

Lucas Brief:
Stacked Up: A counter-monument seeking to critique the criminal justice system that has disproportionately impact people of color in America. The installation, a recreation of a police car, invites viewers to consider the difficulty of entering the justice system for the first time. This installation informs viewers of the harmful justice system that targets people of color and will make them question how institutional racism within the system is stacked against them.  

 In the United States, the criminal justice system is deeply flawed. The moment a person is first arrested, they are officially system-involved. Being system-involved can impact an individual for the rest of their life, especially if they are a person of color. Stacked Up explores this trajectory through the lens of a police car, which symbolizes the moment of entry into the justice system and the way that institutional racism is enforced through the law. The police car allows viewers to learn about people who have been trapped in the criminal justice system for years. Viewers interact with different biographies by reaching through an open window of the car and unveiling a true story they read.   

A Cold Homecoming: An installation that highlights the overwhelming number of homeless veterans in the United States. Instead of having a monument to veterans by depicting them fighting in wars, this counter monument shows the difference between a soldier fighting in the war and a veteran fighting homelessness.

This counter monument aims to address the developing epidemic of homeless veterans in America. It is estimated that between 130,000 and 200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night, consisting of between 20% and 25% of all homeless individuals. Female veterans, veterans with mental and physical disabilities, and veterans returning from current wars have higher rates of becoming homeless. These statistics show the lack of support many veterans receive after returning from combat. A Cold Homecoming depicts two figures: a soldier resting during a battle holding their rifle with a helmet on top, and the other a homeless person slumped over holding a sign that says "Homeless Vet". These two figures are the same person at different points in time.

A key aspect of this monument is the interaction between the two figures. At first, the figures will be back to back, but when activated by a user through pushing rods on each side of the monument, the figures will phase through each other to become face to face. The figures will be consisted of sliced pieces to create a three-dimensional figure. This movement allows the soldier to face their future and demonstrates to the audience  the cold reality of what veterans face when they return home.

Framed Woman: An installation that provides commentary on unrealistic gender expectations and the truth of the construction of gender in society. The installation is a frame cut out of a woman's portrait in the 1800s, which provides insight as to when these gender norms originated, and why they need to end.

When people learn about history, the only visual aspect that they are exposed to is through photographs and paintings. As time goes on, society is constantly exposed and catering to the gender norms that were created hundreds of years ago. Therefore, the construct of gender in society continues to be pervasive and oppressive. This installation emphasizes that society needs to see that people do not need to identify or present themselves as one specific label. Through the utilization of a portrait photograph of a royal woman in the 1800s, the audience is forced to attempt to fit into this preconceived idea of what a woman should look like. Not only does this expose how unrealistic these gender expectations are, but it questions the role of gender as a whole in society.