Who Andie Aviv is

Being an award-winning photographer, digital arts enthusiast, and musical curator, I have decided to create a project that pushes boundaries, embraces new technologies, and brings community together through visual and audio work. Through diverse mixed media I will create simplified, abstract representations of key moments or imagery from these videos along with a personalized DJ mix, adding my own personal touch to the project. My videos will be focused on people that have been marginalized from everything from race to gender identity to socioeconomic status to age; by using their video and my audio, I seek to elevate the stories and give them an opportunity to share new parts of themselves, ones they wouldn’t necessarily have a chance to reveal and yet are central to understanding who they are as well as giving others an opportunity to connect on a more personal level rather than just listening to the audio.

I was born completely deaf, a disability my parents discovered when I was 7-months-old. Suddenly, they were faced with a decision: their daughter could live a life oblivious to sound, or she could be one of the first babies to undergo cochlear implant surgery, a revolutionary yet risky procedure. The surgery was a success—I can now hear the crash of waves, the strings upon a violin, even a ticking clock. These are the little things we don’t even realize how lucky we are to hear, so I decided to take the noise I appreciate most - music - and elevate it to a new level through layering, mixing, and highlighting.

It is not often that you hear of a deaf person interacting with and creating music, so I want to push these double standards and show that, no matter who you are, there is a sense of belonging and community somewhere. I have seen music and videos bring people together - from festivals, to religious gatherings, and even as simple as hanging out with your friends. There is a place for music everywhere, just like there is a place for you anywhere.