In Me & Us, Cecilia Ali showcases personal nostalgia. While a constant loop plays as the visual element, the audio changes every few seconds; with each change, viewers are transported to a different time, a different experience. Audio is the main element of Ali’s project, which invites viewers to focus on different sounds, voices, music, and consequently, emotions.

Comparable to flashback scenes in film, the visuals in this work are blurry and dreamy. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact details of where one is or who one is with, but somehow all of one’s senses are tingling. Music echoes, laughter fills the room, and viewers gain a sense of familiarity with Ali’s experiences, despite not knowing the context. The simplicity of this work prompts the audience to picture themselves in these situations, and perhaps portions of the audio become relevant to particular events in their own lives. In one part, an array of voices come together to sing “Rock with You” by Michael Jackson. Warm and lively, this particular moment may evoke memories of one’s own.

Along with sound, Me & Us also evokes the sense of touch and its connection to memory. Ali offers viewers an opportunity to focus on their memories by transcribing their associations in a notebook that is displayed alongside the work. Ultimately, the culmination of audio, visuals, and interactive elements come together beautifully in this project to invoke a sense of nostalgia in whoever experiences it.