REFLECTED is a visual story of past and present that sheds light on representation in historic spaces. Institutions that often exclude and erase the stories of Black, Indigenous, people of color, and marginalized identities.
Set against the dramatic, yet complicated, backdrop of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the series features diverse, local, visionaries of the present as they interact with the art and architecture of the past. Each individual photographed is celebrated as a work of art and the unique embodiment of their Own personal history and identity.
Throughout the images, you will see different aspects of the museums' interiors- sculptures, framed portraits, objects, furniture, and architecture, mirrored with each subject, transforming the space with their Own ornamentation and strength. The aged effects on the photographs were added to mimic old film photographic processes to symbolize that these stories have always been here.
The series creates a unique visual statement that captures this moment in time as we redefine, reimagine and create a future that reflects us all.
Featuring: Director, actress and writer Paloma Valenzuela, DJ, producer and organizer, Reap P, Chimel Idiokitas, Poet, writer, educator and futurist Porsha Olayiwola, curator and story-teller Khanh “Aiden” Nguyễn, and civil rights activist and community organizer Sumaiya Zama.