Whisper and Shout

Sidewalk Festival, Eliza Howell Park Detroit. (2025)

Live For Media                    Photography (images 4,6,9)

Other Work                           Design, Fabrication, Installation
Team                                    Tian Li, Laura Walker, Mike Styczynski

We installed a two-part, interactive art installation for Sidewalk Festival. Eliza Howell Park is a place to reflect and discover the creative needs and potentials of individuals and communities. WHISPER and SHOUT amplify these qualities as a cathartic, sonic cleanse. Many public spaces suppress certain kinds of sound, particularly those deemed too emotional, too disruptive, too "other." This installation reclaims the right to vocalize fully, from rage to vulnerability, in a society that silences marginal expressions. This act reclaims power by shifting how space is occupied and shared.

WHISPER relies on the intimacy to share intentions, desires, fears, and dreams. Organic cotton pillows tie dyed with natural dyes provide a soft, colorful place to sit. Folks write their whispers on upcycled pages from books sourced from John King Books.

SHOUT is a pilgrimage through an individual, cathartic, release of what holds you back. The traveling, nomadic quality of SHOUT means it needs to be discovered and provide anonymity. A stage set of camouflage umbrellas, a decibel reader, bullhorns, and a book stand.

feel it out, do a mic check, and ease into experimenting with raising your voice

All sounds in the video were recorded at the SHOUT stage. Some of the photos are credited to LivinforMedia.