Where There is Shame, There is Virtue

Shame is not an emotion that is intrinsic to human beings. It is something that is taught to us in order to make us behave and follow certain rules. As an undocumented woman of color, I have spent most of my life trying to navigate existing with shame of all kinds. Coming from a Mexican Catholic upbringing there was always shame regarding sexuality/sexual orientation, body modifications (tattoos, piercings, etc.), not fulfilling gender norms, and drinking alcohol among other things. Simultaneously, the media spends a lot of time and money shaming and scapegoating undocumented people for everything that they do. Years of internalizing all of these negative ideations that I faced in my day to day life had a huge adverse effect on my mental health. Where There is Shame There is Virtue is an interactive installation piece that challenges the viewer to try to look past everything that society has made them feel ashamed of and to remind them that there is beauty in their true selves regardless of everything that society has told them. The piece also attempts to remind viewers that there is virtue in them being themselves despite how society may warp their self image.