Tiffany Taw
@artby.tiffA liminal space refers to a space between spaces. It is a space full of emotions and ambiguity as one leaves the past and awaits the future. An airport is the epitome of a liminal space, as it physically and emotionally transits a person from one place to another. Just as one packs and leaves behind items when they travel, one also has memories they carry and leave behind when transitioning from one emotional state to the next. A life transition for me was my first time flying: a twenty-two hour journey from Yangon to San Francisco. At thirteen, I was forced to be a translator for my parents at the immigration office.
In-Tran[sit(u)] explores the airport experience as a metaphor for life transitions. The meticulous process of going through an airport reflects the complex emotional process one goes through during a life transition. Each checkpoint of the airport—check-in, security, duty-free, immigration, and baggage claim—can be treated as a metaphor for our emotional journey. (Design) We shed aspects of our former selves, much like discarding prohibited items at security. Simultaneously, we preserve our original selves to prove that we match the identities on our passports.
Going through life transitions is uneasy, but like the saying goes: life begins at the edge of your comfort zone. Ultimately, I hope people can embrace the process of transitions while staying true to themselves throughout these changes. Just as I reflect on my own transitions through this project, I hope people can do the same and be proud of how far they have come.