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How It Feels: [exhibit by Ava DeConcini in Green Library]: Making the chair

Explicit content warning: This guide accompanies an art installation which contains descriptions of sexual assault and prompts viewers/readers to think about the impact of those assaults on campus life.

Making the chair

Early poster promoting submissions to the google form. Original project was envisioned as a hard plaster outdoor sculpture in Meyer Green.

Artists gathered anonymous quotes from Stanford community members & peers, using QR Code survey.

survey

The original google form, which received hundreds of submissions over just a few weeks detailing a wide range of experiences that Ava hopes to honor through this project.

Demonstration at the Oval

Printed out the quotes and arranged them in the Oval one night to bring attention to the realities of sexual assault on Stanford's campus.

Location Stanford University Palm Drive Oval.

paper mache sculpture construction

Behind the scenes of the orginal sculpture's construction. Photo taken by Gianna Dugan ('25)

Pape mache prototype

First iteration of the beanbag, made of flour based paper mache (pre-interactive )

Paper mache side view

the final project for Michele Dauber's "One In Five" class. This sculpture was unfortunately thrown away over spring break, which provided the opportunity to construct a fabric / interactive version.

fabric sublimation machine

Working in a makerspace transferring text of quotes onto fabric with the fabric sublimation machine.

Stanford Maker Spaces

sewing

Ava DeConici sewing the cover for the beanbag chair.

Sewing the fabric to fit the beanbag chair

In hindsight, it would probably have been better to start at the top and spiral out as to avoid the awkward union of cylinder side to cylinder top through a sewing machine. Alas.

Artist and beanbag chair, photo by Nikolas Liepins

The beanbag's formal debut to society at the Spring Art Show. Photo by Nikolas Liepins

Art Show Interactive beanbag chair, 2023.

Prospective freshman interacting with the beanbag during admit weekend.

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