Dichotomy of connection

The correlation between sickness and isolation has long been established. However, I would also like to tie in physical isolation vs visual/virtual connection, emphasizing the utilization of technology as both a bridge and a barrier in maintaining relationships through virtual/visual connection. 

The location of the smallpox hospital itself speaks to this dichotomy between isolation and connection since it is isolated on an island, Roosevelt Island, while remaining visible from the waterfront of the Upper East Side, NY. 

The history of the smallpox hospital in many ways parallels COVID-19 at its peak, with few successful medical treatments available, strong restrictions, if not outright prohibitions, on visits, and strict quarantine measures. However, unlike during the smallpox outbreak, the availability of technology during COVID-19 provided a unique avenue for virtual connections, allowing a continuity in education and a semblance of access and interaction in a time of stringent physical isolation. 

At the height of the pandemic, with many people’s loved ones stuck in hospitals with no visitation allowed, this form of virtual access was embraced, leading to the poignant acceptance of virtual goodbyes. I want to use this experience and the feelings that arose during it, to emphasize the imperative to transcend these technological barriers, as virtual connection is an inadequate substitute for genuine in-person interaction. 

This becomes even more evident when considering the ever-present issue of loneliness that permeates human reality, even outside the confines of a pandemic, while access to virtual connectivity has never been higher. 

To elucidate the emotions and experience of isolation, I will use visual and auditory connections such as light, darkness, shadow, compression, and echos to promote a quieter expereince in the lower level of my memorial. This experience will be contrasted by one in the upper level, an open, expansive, brighter space, promoting in-person connection. 

Through this juxtaposition, my memorial aims to encourage contemplation on the value of authentic human connections, and prompts a reassessment of the role virtual/visual connection plays in fostering meaningful relationships.