Heiskell Library
40 W 20th St #1, New York, NY 10011
What You Say Here is an interactive prototype that invites patrons of the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library to share their stories privately and anonymously within library space but without any connection to the web, making it possible to share with a crowd without exposure to the cloud.
This project was inspired by the walls of sticky notes that appeared in New York City subway stations shortly after the 2016 presidential election — a spontaneous public sphere that enabled citizens to voice their concerns and emotions collectively and anonymously, yet proved inaccessible to many. This episode is emblematic of the experiences of countless disabled people, for whom certain modes of communication and new technologies can become barriers to participation, silos, or sources of vulnerability.
The artists and engineers behind the project (Taeyoon Choi, Tiri Kananuruk, Chancey Fleet, and Jill Rothstein) designed this project to spur collective inquiry about the ways in which our ever-changing abilities, spaces and tools combine to create novel opportunities for both vulnerability and empowerment.
About Taeyoon Choi
Taeyoon Choi is an artist, educator, and activist. His art practice involves performance, electronics, drawings, and installations that form the basis for storytelling in public spaces. Choi co-founded the School for Poetic Computation where he continues to organize sessions and teach classes on electronics, drawings, disability and social practice.
About Heiskell Library
The New York Public Library’s Andrew Heiskell Library provides talking books and magazines and braille for people who are blind, visually impaired, or are otherwise physically unable to read standard print. The library serves residents who live in New York City and Long Island. Follow the “Learn more” link below for additional information about the Andrew Heiskell Library.