The hanging sculpture represents the path of a hand gesture made during a conversation. The gesture was made by a student at Kenwood Academy in Hyde Park, Madison Grant, while describing what Michelle Obama’s final speech as First Lady meant to her. In Mrs. Obama’s speech, she addressed the young people of the United States and conveyed her hopes for their future.

Madison Grant’s spoken words are as follows. The word that accompanied her gesture is in bold.

“She (Michelle Obama) was talking to us about the power that we have, and I think that is really important for everyone to look at, especially with education, because I take that very seriously. It’s a huge privilege and it holds so much power and I know how hard my parents and their parents had to work for it and I have to continue the things that they’ve started. Knowledge is very powerful.”

The gesture and speech were recorded with audio and motion-capture technology and output in material form. Madison’s gesture was two handed, resulting in a two-part sculpture. The smaller, wavy form represents the movement of the left hand, while the arch-like shape represents the right hand.  This piece was commissioned for The Keller Center at Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago.

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