Be a local of my life, (2020)
Inspired by both surf localism and localism, “Be a local of my life” explores what it means to be a local of person and in a community. How can our identification as a local be shaped by memory-based knowledge instead of only site-specific factual information about a place? How does power, memory, and time influence a community member's journey to becoming a local? Community members will earn a certification to show that they have specific knowledge of artist Brianna Ortega's personal landmarks, being past memories in her life tied to site-specific spaces in their community.
I sent out an email to community members inviting them to participate in a local tour detailing five specific landmarks that have specific significance to me. In the email, the community members were invited to go to each of my personal landmarks and take a photo there as documentation of going to the place of my memory. After working through the personal landmark tour, the community members emailed back photos to me. Once I recieved their images, I emailed the community member a certification for being a local of my life.