Image: Mladen Hrvanovic

Image: Mladen Hrvanovic

Concept

For a dialogue to form, the process requires another. When another is presented the dialogue becomes a dichotomy. Do we adopt another persona according to who we are talking to and how genuine is that chat? According to David Bohm, no one wins a dialogue; a dialogue is an exploratory process and does not work towards a goal. However, Mikhail Bakhtin held that relationships and connections exist among all living beings, and that dialogue creates a new understanding of a situation that demands change.

Dialogue can be seen as an exchange but this exchange is not always equal or amicable, it can manifest into an emotional charge, disagreements, it may lead to conflicts, irrationality, fake romances, or jealous contingencies. Does dialogue hinder us or further us?

Kirsten Powell


'In Memory'
Photographs 50x70cm

Through my work I investigate language.
‘In memory…’ explores the use of language to remember. Plaques were placed on park benches to commemorate the small personal memories that we may all have experienced. It also questions the truth of our memories and how much of what we remember is selected. For example when people remember ‘the good old days’ they may actually be recollecting a manufactured romantic ideal.