Overview
“Anonymous Postcards: Revelations from the Heart” features an interactive kiosk that guides viewers through a reflective experience. Users will answer questions to receive a tailored prompt, with filters such as depth of question. A nearby bookshelf holds various boxes with questions inside, which will open depending on the filters chosen earlier. The viewer can then take a postcard from the box. One side of the postcard displays the question, while the other provides some blank space for the viewer to write down their answer. After responding, they can anonymously submit their postcard to an online gallery or put it into a scrapbook. In addition, if the viewer chose to answer a question about someone else, they have the option to actually mail it to that person. Real stamps will be available, as well as some handmade stamps for postcards that will not actually be mailed out. Two separate scrapbooks will distinguish between intended for mailing and those kept for personal reflection.
The goal of this project is for those who interact with the piece to reflect on themselves, as well as their relationships with the people around them. Emphasizing the process of reflection through writing a postcard blends together two deeply personal experiences and ties together the stories of so many individuals. Furthermore, since many people do not have the time to reflect on themselves and their relationships very often, I want to provide a space away from the bustle of everyday life for them to do so. On a personal level, I hope for the piece to be as interactive as possible because I’ve always just been more interested in and more drawn to works that are interactive. I would love it if the audience finds interacting with the piece to be a meaningful experience that they may continue to reflect on in the future.