How can art bring people together during a time when we are divided?

During the weeks preceding the 2018 United States midterm election, artist Alicia Eggert and I staged a multi-site installation of their interactive sculpture You Are Magic. You Are Magic is a large-scale inflatable sculpture that inspires wonder and evokes the power of collaboration. The deflated artwork is brought to life when two people hold hands, each person touching one of the sculpture's handprint kiosks. The sculpture fills with air, growing larger and brighter the longer the participants hold hands, expanding into the words "You Are Magic”. As soon as they release their hands, the circuit is broken, and the sculpture deflates into a crumpled pile of fabric on the ground.

You Are Magic was installed on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the Delaware River waterfront, and Schuylkill River waterfront to bring individuals from every edge of Philadelphia together.