akhtarshenas studios
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palestine_mural.jpg

Vote? Vote!

Vote? Vote!

Vote? Vote! is a temporary mural in LOVE Park that will be on display for the month of October through the 2024 election in November. 

For this mural, Isabella incorporated an interactive animation component, further telling the story of this shift in perspective.

Scan the mural in the Artivive app to activate AR animation!
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Since 2018, Streets Dept. and Mural Arts have been curating: To The Polls - an ongoing public art project connecting artists and communities to promote civic engagement through the act of voting. For this project, Isabella was asked to interpret this question: Why is participating in voting an important act and value for you?

“This piece illustrates the journey from doubt to conviction, where the question mark that once punctuated "Vote?" transforms into an exclamation: "Vote!". The work encapsulates this shift in my perspective, from questioning whether voting in an imperfect system could ever align with my values, to realizing the power of hope and civic engagement in influencing the future I want to see.”

Through vibrant imagery and bold symbolism, this mural seeks to convey not just the internal conflict but the possibility of bridging gaps between idealism and action. Central to this piece is the visual merging of two powerful symbols: the American flag and the watermelon. The watermelon, historically associated with Palestinian resistance, is interwoven with the flag to represent the intersection of personal convictions with national identity. This fusion of imagery reflects the tension between national participation and global solidarity, highlighting the ways in which these seemingly divergent identities can coexist and inform one another.  Ultimately, "Vote? Vote!" represents a reclamation of voice and power—acknowledging the imperfections of our system while emphasizing the importance of showing up, speaking out, and voting with intention and purpose.