Upgrade Appropriation:  a process of appropriating ready-made objects and replacing them with upgraded items. The appropriated items are presented as art objects that have witnessed human interaction from their previous locations.

Transient Motel is an exhibition that investigates the interactions of people and physical environments in low-income areas of Daytona Beach, Florida. The purpose of the exhibition is to raise social awareness of low-income communities among the public through visual art.            

Interactions between motel guests were documented as first-hand sound recordings of conversations, interviews and other activities. These recordings are projected through speakers within a constructed life-sized replica of the motel rooms in which they were recorded. Found and appropriated furniture and fixtures from the actual rooms are arranged within the replica as objects of art to familiarize the public with conditions of poverty.            

During my exhibition, the public is encouraged to participate by entering and exploring the replica of the motel room. The participant experiences authentic objects, sounds and smells of Daytona Beach motel rooms that have been inhabited by victims of transient poverty.