Jessi Wong

WE HAVE RELAUNCHED THIS PROJECT WITH REVISED INSTALLATION PROCEDURES AND COSTS!

1000 Tears is a collaborative installation art project as part of the 2013 Melbourne Writers Festival. This project aims to bring together individual moments of regret into an interdisciplinary publicly-authored project as a means of fostering community through confiding and sharing experiences. Regrets will form the basis of a large-scale installation at Federation Square between August 22 - September 1 as part of the Melbourne Writer's Festival. To contribute a regret to the project see 1000 Tears on Facebook

HOW YOU CAN HELP
We have in-kind support from Avant Card who are helping to advertise and distribute cards for the project. Federation Square has kindly donated the Atrium as a venue for our pubic installation.
Our art project is part of the Melbourne Writers Festival programming.

However we still require funding for :
Installation costs such as lighting rental, equipment operators. approx $1000-1500
Material costs such as paper, inks, wood and lino plates and other printing consummables. Est. $500

Any extra funding will go towards artist fees and opening night costs such as invitations, wine, food, glass hire.

WHY
Why Regrets? In the book "Affluenza", Clive Hamilton and Richard Denniss investigate the correlation between increasing affluence and the rise in depression, anxiety and a decrease in the subjective sense of wellbeing. Their conclusion is that advertised local success is socially divisive as it creates personal comparisons and competition.

The most effective way to create human connections is through shared laughter. However, sharing recollections of happy events with others who are not part of that moment can create feelings of isolation and disconnection, or Facebook which presents a sanitised version of one's life resulting in viewers feeling dissatisfied with their own life due to the belief everyone else ishaving more fun without them. (Hui-Tzu Grace Chou and Nicholas Edge. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. February 2012, 15(2): 117-121. doi:10.1089/cyber.2011.0324. Check the abstract here)

The second most effective way to create human connections is through shared vulnerabilities and difficult experiences. This can be seen through community support in the aftermath of traumatic events as mass tragedy has the ability to create solidarity through feelings of connection and a sense of obligation by being part of a group. (Check the abstract here). It is through this reasoning that our project hopes to use regret.