Cassandra Gelbloom Studios

Listen Closely, 2023
Stoneware, Acrylic Paint, Recording and Speaking Devices

This is an installation piece that is inspired by the loneliness epidemic which has been stated to be a global issue by the World Health Organization. The Organization announced in 2023 that they would be starting a 3-year long commission to combat the deadly effects of loneliness. It was concluded that the epidemic was a result of a lack of social connection. After finding out more about this issue through the organizations research; it became a basis for my work that year.

I wanted to engage with people around me to find ways of connecting through a shared feeling. If this is a global issue then most likely many of us are feeling a sense of isolation. By creating a blog to share the project and the reports by the World Health Organization, I was able to reach fellow students, friends, family and others outside of my circle. With this artwork specifically I created a post asking people to share about their experiences of loneliness and provided questions to support their response.

The actual project itself stemmed through an interest of using sound to share messages from one person to many others. This idea allowed for me to engage with people by opening a space to discuss their experience with loneliness. I used devices that can record a message and play it back with the press of a button. These devices were placed behind a selection of ears that had a hole to project the sound through. I used the ear as a symbol for the act of listening, as it can bridge the gaps between the disconnection with others and the stigma around loneliness.

I installed this piece at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery for the annual Juried Student Exhibition. Visitors could press the buttons placed next to some of the ears and listen to different messages being shared. Many of the responses had similarities, showing that many of us could relate to the feeling of loneliness.

If you want to check the website that was created for engagement in this project then click here: