Analysis: Confessions by Candy Chang
'Confessions' is a participatory installation by Candy Chang that has people write confessions on wooden plaques, as inspired by Japanese Shinto shrine prayer walls, in confessional booths as inspired by Catholicism traditions. More than 1500 people took part in Chang's installation in the heart of the Las Vegas strip, playing on the cliche 'what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas', because of this Chang wanted the display to be 'a cathartic and voyeuristic sanctuary for this temporary community and help us see we are not alone in our quirks, experiences and struggles as we try to lead fulfilling lives' and I think this is achieved.
From the sheer range of confessions it seems the participants were able to cast off their burdens and potential shame before leaving Vegas and resuming their usual lives. I like to think there was a sense of camaraderie between the participants as each person came to some level of self-realisation or self-acceptance. Chang's use of red supports this hope as red symbolises rebirth and new life, two things confessing secrets can do, there's also a sense of relief within the limited colour as it makes you focus on the confessions rather than being distracted by other things which is reminiscent of everyday life.
The confessions were arranged around the gallery for people to flick through and some were painted onto canvases and hung between confessions. The confessions were anonymous - and as I found in my surveys - this gave a variety of weird and wonderful stories, from light-hearted to heart-breaking. I think just the scope of experiences people have had is astounding and it's strange to think how even though we're all here on earth, we can have such drastically different experiences and these are what shape us into the people we are.
The pieces also show the variety of characters that participated as some plaques are comical, some more serious, but each says a lot about the person behind the confession. I like the variety of handwriting too as it gives a more personal kind of feel - something I lost through digital surveys - the scrawling writing contrasts the sans serif capitalised font Chang uses on the booths and plaques, this creates a sense of authority and enhances the imperative 'write a confession' and makes it seem more important to be followed. I like as well as Chang paints chosen pieces onto canvas in the same style as the confessions have been written, this takes a real skill and patience and I think that really makes the piece all the more powerful as they appear to be directly put onto the canvas rather than transferred by the artist.
The installation has since been featured in public spaces across the globe, in places such as Athens in Greece, Minsk in Belarus, Yerevan in Armenia and even London, England as part of the Merge Festival. In London, Chang spray painted the pavements with stencilled confessions and though I prefer the handwritten quality of the original installation, the boldness of the confessions on the floor is appealing. Because they're so big and bold, in capital sans serif font, there isn't a way they can't not be seen. I think the installation is very powerful though and it has given me the push I need to act on my ideas for this project. I really enjoy Chang's work and another installation I particulalrly like is 'Before I Die' that asks people to write they're goals and aspirations they want in life. I really like the interactive qualities of her work and I want my piece to follow a similar kind of path because I think it needs to be, to work as a project and to connect with people as I intend.