Hyejo Seo – Looking Outward 01

I had an opportunity to learn about an interactive art project called “Portals”, created by a creative studio, Shared Studios, through my friend over the summer. How Portals work is that a person walks into a shipping container in which they talk to complete strangers from different backgrounds such as from Iraqi refugee camps, Afghan universities, Mexican public parks and German libraries through live feed. People are given with some ice breaker questions such as “What would make today a good day for you?” before walking in, but the rest of the conversation is up to them.  This project was launched in December 2014 by a former Washington Post reporter, Amar Bakshi, after traveling to 12 countries to report. His most memorable moments from his time visiting different countries were talking to complete strangers in each country. On his way back home, he brainstormed ways of connecting people from all over the world in more personal ways, and Portals was created. With a team of 16 people, the shipping container have been traveling to different cities in the US.

This project has struck out to me as it provides meaningful experiences between people separated by distance and differences and will further encourage them to be more open-minded and expose themselves to different cultures – resonating with my personal values. As a person who has been studying abroad – New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, now, America – since a young age, I have been pushed to step out of my comfort zones, which led me to learn and appreciate different cultures. Since I am aware that everybody’s experiences are unique, I hope to create creative and more fun ways to encourage people to learn about other cultures such as the Portals.