DIALOGUE RECORDINGS
Face-to-Face Political Dialogue in Public Space
A Socially Engaged Art Practice
Dialogue Recordings is a body of work composed of 326 face-to-face encounters with strangers in public space.
Structured Conversations Beyond Echo Chambers
Each recording follows a consistent structure built around three non-confrontational political questions designed to encourage reflection and exchange.
The Dialogue Recordings Question Framework
Beginning with Personal Introduction
Every conversation begins with a simple introduction focused on the participant’s name, work, and personal interests before entering political discussion.
Three Questions on Politics and Perception
Participants respond to the same core political questions regarding the U.S. political system, emotional reactions to politics, and personal reflections on division and society.
The One-Word Reflection Process
Each exchange concludes with a single word that distills the participant’s response, grounding abstraction into something personal, direct, and shared.
Active Listening as Contemporary Art Practice
Listening Beyond Debate and Reaction
At its core, Dialogue Recordings is an exploration of active listening—not listening to rebut or correct, but listening to understand.
Shared Emotional Ground Over Political Agreement
The work proposes connection through shared emotional experience rather than agreement on facts or ideology.
“I Disagree, But I Feel That Too”
“I disagree with what you said, but I feel that too” becomes a central emotional bridge within the project. It is the element that happens after the recording stops. It is left unheard in the recordings, participants free of distractions.
Silence, Division, and Shared Humanity
Dialogue as Resistance to Social Fragmentation
The project suggests that meaningful conversation remains possible even across political and cultural differences.
“We Are Not the Enemy, Silence Is”
In this work, silence represents the absence of dialogue, while conversation becomes an act of recognition, openness, and shared humanity.
The Questions Are:
How would you describe the political system of the United States of America?
Describe your feelings or emotions to the current state of US politics.
(Finish the sentence) Politics in the United States...
Dialogue, Connection, and Human Presence
Conversations That Continue Beyond the Recording
Many exchanges extend beyond the formal structure into unguarded discussions about division, community, and communication.
Related Projects:
Dialogue Through 3 Political Questions
Discover the three-question framework used throughout Triptych Dialogue to encourage respectful political conversation and reflective public exchange.
Active Listening Across Political Division
Explore how active listening became a central practice for engaging political difference through presence, restraint, and human connection.
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View public dialogue installations and participatory artworks developed within designated First Amendment areas of U.S. National Parks.
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100 Podcasts
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