DRAFT PROJECT POST - Ramandeep Kaur

 Chapter 8 Ethics 

“Ethics are a set of moral principles that shape, guide, and, hopefully, determine how we behave.(pg.293)

short response: Ethics are basically the rules we use to know right from wrong. They help us decide what choices to make and how to act, especially when things get complicated. Ethics aren’t just ideas, they’re supposed to actually influence what we do and how we treat people. It’s like having an internal guide that keeps your behavior fair, respectful, and responsible.

"“The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” The master, however, has some slick power tools."(pg. 306)

short response: This quote is saying you can’t fix or break down an unfair system by using the same methods that system was built with. The people in power created those tools to keep things the way they are, not to change them. But the second line adds a twist it’s pointing out that the people in power do have strong, advanced tools that work really well for them, just not for anyone trying to challenge the system. It’s kind of calling out the imbalance, the master gets the best equipment, while everyone else is stuck trying to make change with tools that were never made to help them.

 Chapter 9 Utopia 

“A goal that others—whether they are aware of, care about, or understand our specific problems or objectives— are likely to want to reach with us. Goals motivate movements.(pg.317)

short response: For a movement to actually grow, the goal has to be something other people can get behind, even if they don’t fully know your struggle or feel it the same way you do. If people can still see the purpose and want the outcome, they’ll join you. That shared goal becomes the energy that pushes the whole movement forward. It’s basically the thing that gets everyone moving in the same direction.

"Ursula Le Guin once said, “We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change ofen begin in art.”" (pg.320)

short response: Even though capitalism feels like this huge system we can’t escape, it’s not untouchable. People once thought kings ruled by God’s will like that power could never be challenged and that still changed because humans pushed back. So the same thing can happen now. Any system made by people can be changed by people. And a lot of the time, that change starts with art artists showing new ideas, calling out problems, and helping people imagine something different. Art is often the first spark for resistance and change.

Draft Project Post

My performance piece titled Folded Voices shows how silence can become a powerful form of communication, especially when people feel unable to express their true emotions. I am building on my original idea by researching how artists use participation, written text, and quiet actions to create emotional impact. I looked at performance artists like Yoko Ono, who often uses simple gestures to invite reflection, and Sophie Calle, who works with hidden messages and personal secrets. I also researched communication theory, specifically how “unspoken dialogue” can shape relationships, and how the act of withholding words can carry as much meaning as speaking them. The main symbol in my project is the folded paper, which represents protected feelings and the way people hide their emotions from the world. The clear jar symbolizes transparency we can see that these unspoken thoughts exist, even if we don’t know exactly what they say. The location of my performance will be a quiet corner of the classroom or gallery space, where people feel safe enough to participate without feeling watched or judged. My goal is to create an atmosphere where silence feels intentional instead of awkward or empty.

For materials, I will be using blank sheets of paper, pens, a clear jar labeled “Unspoken,” a black marker, small pieces of tape, and a board or wall space large enough to display the altered messages. Before the final performance, I will run a few tests to see how the paper folds look when displayed and how much of a sentence I can cover while still leaving emotional impact. I also plan to test how the black marker or tape looks on paper so that the covered words feel intentional and not messy. During the performance, I will sit at a small table and invite audience members to write one sentence about something they have never said out loud—a thought, a fear, or a wish. After they write it, I will show them how to fold the paper corner-to-corner into a small square, which symbolizes the act of tucking away a feeling. They will then place their folded paper into the jar. When all the papers have been collected, I will carefully open a few of them and remove or cover certain key words, leaving behind incomplete sentences. These fragments will be posted on the board where everyone can walk around and read them. The missing words create space for imagination, interpretation, and empathy. The entire project becomes a quiet, shared reflection on how much we hide, how much we carry, and how meaning changes when pieces of our stories stay unspoken.