Genius Loci & Imaginative Storytelling
Siobhan Hussey
2024 Spring Residency
Amidst the growing cultural acceptance of technological dependence, there's an increasing urgency to engage with children to teach them the value of stepping away from screens to foster a genuine connection to the world around them. This project aims to inspire the youth to awaken the senses to develop connections to their surroundings and the spirit of place, aka Genius Loci. In order to do so, Siobhan has developed tangible strategies for public engagement through a connection to nature, and introduces more intangible concepts through imaginative storytelling via a developing children’s book. She shares her own process of how she connects with the spirit of place through a collection of materials, a series of musings, as well as, a visual analysis of the tangible and intangible elements of Governors Island. While on the island, she facilitated a workshop and created an activity pamphlet that heightens the awareness of participants by inviting them to interact, locate, collect, reflect, and give thanks to their natural surroundings.
These explorations contributed to the creation and storyboarding of a children's book aimed to empower young readers to unleash their imagination, interact with the world's natural wonders, and ultimately connect to Genius Loci.
These explorations contributed to the creation and storyboarding of a children's book aimed to empower young readers to unleash their imagination, interact with the world's natural wonders, and ultimately connect to Genius Loci.
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