Last Words
Video installation; 8´ H x 10´ W per image
Last Words is a contemplative video installation that amplifies the voices of teenagers from Oakland Public High Schools. Each participant was asked to consider a profound question: “Imagine you have the opportunity to speak on national television, but are limited to a single word. After speaking, you must take a vow of silence. What would be your last word?”
The students’ responses, captured on video, are presented across a two-channel projection, each image 8´ by 10´. The installation invites viewers to engage with the intensity, humor, vulnerability, and wisdom contained within a single word. In doing so, it illuminates the ways language can encapsulate identity, hope, and personal truth, even under the most constrained conditions.
Last Words transforms a simple inquiry into a poignant reflection on communication, presence, and the resonant power of voice.