Katie Hargrave / About
I am interested in the notions of public memorial and place making. The production of place, I have found, depends on the private memory of residents and the public marketing of the place's past into a digestible narrative for the outside world. My research focuses on history as a venue for memorial. Certain histories are privileged and marketed, while others are inexplicably evaded. This push and pull is presented in public institutions such as the museum and the archive and works to produce place. The outcome of my research varies in every project, including performance, printed matter, installation, and video.
My practice and the efficacy of my results depend heavily on collaborative learning and community engagement. For many projects I conduct short research trips to local archives, libraries, town squares, and county fairs. This interaction informs my investigations, and permits specific stories to be told. I am interested in point of view and wish to present first, second, and third person narratives across my work.