“...revolutionary in the manner that spectators... participate in and affect the resulting performance.”
— Allie Marotta, No Proscenium“As the tea grew stronger, our conversations grew deeper.”
— Yo-yo, guest
Our Trace of Time
Disguised as a three-course meal, a series of questions guides guests on a journey of connection. An unexpected trace of time is revealed at the end.
Anniversaries, reunions, first dates are built to bring people closer, yet so often stay at the surface, the real things left unsaid. I designed Our Trace of Time to guide people past that, sequencing questions like courses so the depth arrives on its own, never scripted.
My Role
Creator and Art Director. I designed the custom-made table for the hidden ink block, the progression of questions, and the printed pieces. I facilitated every session, serving the questions course by course and, at the end, walking guests back through the journey and artwork they'd just made.
Outcome
Sold out across three venues and 34 sessions, with repeat guests.
Credits
Produced with Flower Shop Collective // Poem by Karolina Manko // Photography by Jenny Regan // In partnership with Café con Libros, The Carty Group, The Qi.
Nostalgia
For people with shared history, making space for the gratitude people rarely say out loud.
Un-Small Talk
For strangers, turning a first meeting into a real connection.
The Themes
I write the purpose of the gathering, then design the emotional progression around it. Same structure underneath, a different destination each time.
Shape
For a gatherer and a few companions, reflecting on what made them who they are.
The Trace
Beneath the tablecloth, a hidden block-print quietly records the evening: the press of their movements, the marks of the dishes they set down. At the end, the cloth is lifted to reveal an artwork made from the literal trace of their time together. Their Trace of Time is what they carry home.
