Keychain Access: A Workshop

How do we cultivate environments where new relationships can be intimate and still feel safe? And in an increasingly digital era, how do we honor the physicality that remains in our lives?

Building on my earlier work, Keychain Access: Input Booth, this workshop at the Brooklyn Art Book Fair was an experiment in new modes of human connection. It grew from a key observation in my preliminary interviews: a keychain is a snapshot of someone’s private life, and one that people are surprisingly willing to share.

Through knowledge sharing, project show and tells, and a mix of structured and freeform activities in groups and pairs, participants came to know one another on a deeper level. The experience culminated in a tangible keepsake: each participant left with a custom 3D printed picture frame holding a drawing made just for them by their new friend.

The project was a collaboration with Rui and Tianran from Sequence.

Photo credits: Tianran Qian