Mass political texts can’t be sent by automation; for every message you receive, someone personally hits send. Any responses to these political texts are recorded—but not usually read.

In 2024, a campaign sent text messages to third-party registered voters about a Libertarian presidential candidate, Chase Oliver. This project contains the responses that campaign received—examining the language in politics and the power dynamics of being heard.

In election seasons, we find ourselves trapped in an unending one-way conversation. When given the opportunity to respond, sometimes we take it. We yell into the void. Ghosted is an archive of that void.

Installed as a part of the 2025 VCUarts MFA Thesis Exhibition exhibited in The Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU. Curated by Misa Jeffereis (Associate Curator, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis), Egbert Vongmalaithong (Assistant Curator, ICA at VCU), and Chase Westfall (Head of Gallery and Exhibitions, VCUarts Qatar), the 2025 exhibition reveals a cross-section of emergent practices that are rooted in collaboration, experimentation, and the urgency to make meaning in an ever-changing world.