About the Exhibition
Presented in partnership with The Dean Gallery, National Galleries of Scotland
Lee Mingwei makes projects that help people connect to themselves, their memories and emotions. Letter Writing Project invites viewers to think about communicating with absent friends, family and loved ones by writing the letters they always meant to, but have never had the opportunity or time to do so.
Much of our modern communication has become perfunctory, brief and increasingly ephemeral as we utilise screen and tele-technologies. Letters are tangible. Their evidence of the hand, still close to the mind and heart and their permanence as a document carry particular emotional weight. Participants are invited to write their letters and either seal them or leave them open for others to read.
Many of the visitors come to realise, through reading the letters of others that they too carry unexpressed feelings that they would feel relieved to write down and perhaps share. A chain of feelings is created, reminding visitors of the larger world of emotions in which we all participate.
