Mary Corey March

My installations are the core of my work. They are frameworks for guiding people through ideas and experiences. They are ways of getting people to explore themselves, others, and their interactions with the larger world. I often make them approachable and fun, but they generally deal with intense and often difficult ideas alongside the lighthearted ones. I consider the body’s relationship to them, the weight and texture of objects, and the symbolism of materials. While they do often have steps or rules, I make sure they offer a freedom of personal expression or exploration in engaging them so they do not become simply be a series of hoops that I forced participants through. Part of my process is asking lots of different kinds of people lots of questions about the subject matter. If I stuck with what I and the people I know think is important about a subject, then it will be limited to the experiences of certain circles. I actively seek out strangers ideas as part of my early process.

What is Participatory vs. Interactive?

Interactive work involves people touching, moving, holding, changing or physically affecting the work in the space while it is being shown. Participatory work involves other people contributing some part of themselves (their stories, information, ideas, images, data or some other real personal contribution) to the piece. This can occur during the time the work is shown or take place completely before it is shown. In the case of Identity Tapestry, Scales, Transparency and others the Interaction and Participation are the same. In the case of Write me for Art, Digital Mediation and Cultural Fabric Breathes Still and others the Participation happens first and then a different interaction occurs. In the case of Online Profile, it is Participatory in creation, but not interactive onsite. My installations are generally Participatory or both Participatory and Interactive.