Heard to be Seen, Seen to be Heard by Emma Balder

Exhibition Statement:
Heard to be Seen, Seen to be Heard (HSSH) is an exhibition and collaborative
project between Artist Emma Balder and formerly unhoused residents of Saint Francis
Apartments (SFA). Balder held three collaborative sessions, featuring dialogue and
regenerative art-making, at SFA in September 2024. The residents created a
reconstructed painting-turned-sculpture based on Balder’s studio practice - they
collectively painted an abstract artwork, then cut it up, rearranged the pieces, and
reconfigured them around a boulder-like structure. Alongside this process, they created
drawings and writings as an alternative approach to processing hardship. Activities
aligned with discussions about residents’ past and current struggles, the emotions
associated with them, and determining actions to overcome their challenges. The
culminating artwork symbolizes resilience and new understanding: how reframing
difficult experiences can be an opportunity for learning, growth, and healing. The project
not only addresses the emotional, physical, and financial barriers people face
transitioning out of homelessness, but also seeks to recognize the dignity in every
human being.
The sculpture, drawings, writings, photographs, and video content from the
sessions will be on display during the exhibition at Understudy from March 27–April 27,
2025. The exhibition’s opening reception is on March 27, 2025, from 4–7pm, which is
free and open to the public. A few residents will speak during the reception at 5:30pm.
This project is funded in part by Arts in Society. Thanks to the Arts in Society grant,
participating residents were paid for their contribution to the project, as collaborating
artists.