"(keep) in touch"
This participatory installation explores the intimacy and labor of communication within the breast cancer community. The work centers on a recontextualized vanity, presenting two distinct modes of connection: a rotary telephone playing audio messages and a screen embedded in place of a mirror looping video responses. Through these tactile and visual entry points, the installation examines how we connect and remain “in touch” with one another, navigating the physicality and emotional depth of sharing stories in times of vulnerability.
The work pairs a rotary telephone with a screen embedded in the place of the vanity’s mirror, offering visitors a choice between listening or watching. The rotary phone emphasizes the tactile engagement of analog communication, asking viewers to pick up the receiver to hear contributors’ reflections. The screen, positioned at eye level, creates an immediate sense of presence with participants, as though sitting face-to-face. This juxtaposition of modes highlights how technologies evolve, yet the underlying need for connection remains constant.
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Participants were invited to respond to prompts—What would you say to someone just starting their breast cancer journey?, What gave you hope during your most difficult times?, and What’s one thing you wish someone had told you?—offering insights into themes of support, resilience, and care. These questions tie directly to the title: the act of sharing becomes a way to stay “in touch” with others, while also reflecting on the effort it takes to “keep in touch” in moments of difficulty and uncertainty.
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The vanity’s recontextualization as a site for communal exchange underscores its historical association with care and reflection. By transforming personal spaces into places of shared intimacy, the work blurs boundaries between the private and the public, reframing communication as a deeply relational act. The tactile and visual duality of the installation invites viewers to reflect not only on the stories shared but also on the mediums through which we engage with one another.
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As part of the Suspended Self Project, "(keep) in touch" expands on themes of identity, resilience, and relational care. By gathering and presenting personal narratives, the installation transforms individual experiences into a collective archive, offering a space for audiences to witness, reflect, and engage in the ongoing dialogue of care and connection.
Call for Participation: (keep) in touch
Are you a previvor, current breast cancer patient, thriver, or survivor?
Your voice and story are essential to "(keep) in touch," a participatory art installation exploring connection, resilience, and care within the breast cancer community. This project creates a collective archive of shared experiences, providing a space for reflection and solidarity through audio and video storytelling.
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How to Participate
You’re invited to respond to one or more of the following prompts:
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What would you say to someone just starting their breast cancer journey?
What gave you hope during your most difficult times?
What’s one thing you wish someone had told you?
Choose how you’d like to share:
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Call and Leave an Audio Message
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Dial 616-315-0487 to leave a voicemail. Your voice will become part of the installation, played on a rotary phone where visitors will listen in an intimate setting.​
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Record and Send a Video
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Film a 1–3 minute video sharing your response.
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DM your video on Instagram: @mallory.shotwell
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Email your video: suspendedselfproject@gmail.com
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Your contribution doesn’t need to be perfect—just heartfelt. Share your story in your own way, whether it’s a casual voice recording or a video filmed in a meaningful place.
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Why Your Voice Matters
This project values the power of storytelling as a way to foster connection, resilience, and understanding within the breast cancer community. By participating, you help create a space where your wisdom and experiences can comfort, inspire, and support others.
All submissions will also be shared online, allowing contributors to see their stories alongside others, creating a sense of community and shared purpose before the exhibition launches.
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Where Your Story Will Be Shared
Your voice or video will be featured in an immersive art installation designed to honor and amplify your story. Visitors will:
Pick up a rotary phone to listen to audio messages, engaging with voices in an intimate, tactile interaction.
Sit at a vanity screen to watch video responses, meeting contributors eye-to-eye in a reflective, personal space.
These narratives will also be shared online, creating opportunities for broader connection and engagement.
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For questions or assistance, contact suspendedselfproject@gmail.com. Thank you for sharing your voice and being part of this meaningful work.
Videos and Audio Coming Soon Below
"Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells"
Ink, Pencil, Archival Paper
2' x 3'
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Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for about 10-15% of all breast cancers. The term triple-negative breast cancer refers to the fact that the cancer cells don’t have estrogen or progesterone receptors and also don’t make too much of the protein called HER2. (The cells test "negative" on all 3 tests.) These cancers tend to be more common in women younger than age 40, who are African-American, or who have a BRCA1 mutation.
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Triple-negative breast cancer differs from other types of invasive breast cancer in that they grow and spread faster, have limited treatment options, and a worse prognosis (outcome).
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Drawing based on a digital histopathology image of triple negative breast cancer. The staining of the histiochemical with the breast cancer cells gives a pink, red, or purple color.
Exhibition History of these Pieces
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"Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells"
The Other Art Fair presented by Saatchi Art, Dallas TX
April 2024