Naming Expeditor: Reimagining Institutional Naming System at Harvard

Abstract

The "Naming Expeditor" project aims to demystify the institutional process and principles of naming, including denaming and renaming, at Harvard University. Through research on historical archives and contemporary testimonies, the project seeks to understand the meaning-constructive nature of naming as a dynamic and iterative device in the public realm. By integrating theories and practices from the realms of art and activism, the project explores alternative channels, forms, and tools to reimagine a collective naming process and system that amplifies community voices with increased awareness, democracy, and participation. The project's final deliverable contains an image essay analyzing the current institutional naming system at Harvard and proposing the niche and strategies of an agency named "Naming Expeditor", as well as a live performance, aiming to display the power behind the texts in the existing institutional naming system, and evoke public discussion and actions in the broader community.