The Depth Of Our Humanity Knows No Boundaries

The Depth of Our Humanity Knows No Boundaries is a collaborative social practice project between artist Jamie Walters Kessler and Kent Social Services, a local non-profit in Kent, Ohio. Kent Social Services serves as a food pantry program and provides free hot meals to community members in need. The non-profit utilizes an external messaging board as a communication platform to facilitate requests for food items required for donations to the community pantry. The Depth of Our Humanity Knows No Boundaries consists of a series of three statements created by artist Jamie Walters Kessler displayed alongside the requested food donation item on the external messaging board at Kent Social Services. These statements aim to address issues of inequality and inspire social change by focusing on concepts of community collectiveness. This intervention aims to highlight the dualities, complexities, and larger structural change needed within American society to create cultures of equality. The dual messaging system creates a contextualizing structure that allows passing audiences, community members, and donors to consider the connections between our basic needs in relationship to our societal needs and human rights. As part of the collaboration of this artwork, the artist made donations of the requested food items that corresponded with each statement. This collaborative artwork speaks to the philosophy that human dignity transcends economic status and celebrates community and individual empowerment through social advocacy. This artwork also explores and reflects upon the experiences of food insecurity experienced by the artists parents during their childhoods.

WE NEED RAMEN NOODLES. WE NEED EMPOWERMENT.

Statement 1: We Need Empowerment. The concept of empowerment embodies the notion that every individual has the capacity to claim their rights and should receive support in cultivating self-efficacy, ensuring equal opportunity, and exercising their liberty.

WE NEED PASTA. WE NEED KINDNESS.

Statement 2: We Need Kindness. The practice of  kindness marks the conscious decision to feel and act with empathy, generosity, and respect out of recognition for the experiences of others.

                     WE NEED UNITY.      WE NEED CEREAL AND JELLY.

Statement 3: We need Unity. The notion of  unity represents the intentionality to support each other with mutual sympathy, understanding, and empowerment and to enact change through collective action and togetherness.