I Can Read Your Thoughts… was an interactive public project by Stella Whalley that connectsed traditional intaglio printing and object-based installation with the newer technology of digital printing methods. The project began in 1999 when Whalley discovered a number of chrome-framed chairs discarded outside her studio. At the time, the chairs had no seats, which sparked the idea to create new ones from photo-etched metal plates.
These plates featured text etched both on the surface and in reverse on the underside, reflecting memory-based narratives related to chairs. They were displayed on mirrored bases, allowing both sides of the etchings to be viewed. Whalley invited public participation, asking people to contribute their own reflections, memories, and associations with chairs — whether personal, emotional, or symbolic.
Waterloo Bridge 2000
The chairs were exhibited outside galleries or in central city locations, encouraging spontaneous interaction. Participants could also submit their own text and imagery to have a personalised chair created and installed in the gallery space. The project was exhibited in Birmingham, London, and Hull, blending printmaking, sculpture, and social engagement in a reflection on memory, presence, and everyday objects.
‘Cascade’ Arte Di Cascano, Artist residency in Terracina Italy 2015
In 2015, Stella Whalley revisited the themes explored in I Can Read Your Thoughts… — memory, presence, and public interaction — by creating a site-specific installation in collaboration with James Bell on residence in Terracina, Italy. This new work featured cascading wicker chairs suspended down the side of a building, echoing the earlier project’s use of chairs as vessels of personal and collective experience. However, this iteration shifted from etched text to a more architectural and sculptural expression, engaging directly with the public realm in a striking and poetic way.