Dear Readers,
The world of art and writing are so closely related, but can sometimes feel far apart. Equilibria aims to bridge this divide by exploring the interrelationship between visual art and creative writing. This semester, we facilitated our first art-writing exchange within the Penn community, where talented artists and writers were matched with one another, tasked with creating a piece inspired by the one they received.
Through random pairing, participants were inspired in ways they may not have imagined. They were presented with something unfamiliar, were encouraged to interpret the piece through their own lens, and were challenged to produce a new work from their own perspective. Through this active process, artists and writers were able to contribute their own unique voice to the publication.
There is no doubt that this semester was both unusual and stressful in numerous ways. From the COVID-19 pandemic to the presidential election, many students felt overburdened by the state of the world. Social isolation also proved itself to be very real, considering that we were scattered across the nation and the globe. In light of these challenges, we wanted to give students an opportunity to channel their focus on a creative project. Through the art-writing exchange, participants were able to connect with another creator, even if it did not involve a traditional face-to-face interaction. They were able to learn about another’s perspective and respond creatively, a form of expression that proved to be valuable during this time.
Along with the rest of the board and editorial team, I am excited to present to you the inaugural publication of Equilibria, which is the product of a semester-long process carried by the hard work of artists and writers. We invite you to explore the publication, while paying particularly close attention to the exchange of ideas that occurred between creators.
We would also like to thank Kelly Writers House for supporting our initiative and providing the resources to make this publication possible. Without their generous support, our Fall 2020 issue would not be on display for you today. We look forward to future successful issues to come.
Sincerely,
Equilibria 