Part I of The Women's Trilogy Project, (The Ray Lee Project Vol. 1): NDD Immersion Room, is a large-scale immersive installation whose title derives from the concept of Nature Deficit Disorder (“NDD”), used to describe a form of human alienation from nature that results in both a greater susceptibility to negative moods and a reduced attention span. Upon entering the exhibition, visitors will surrender their phones and receive a lantern to enter a dimly lit interior forest barely illuminated by a campfire with very few signs of civilization. Hovnanian created this exhibition under her male pseudonym, Ray Lee, assigned by her peers during adolescence to reflect her interest in stereotypically masculine outdoor pass-time like camping and fishing.
The Women’s Trilogy Project includes three thematically related installments that expands on the familiar themes explored in the artist's previous body of work, which include addiction, gender roles and our relationship with technology.Hovnanian draws on her Southern upbringing to question our current cultural values, challenging the viewer to question gender barriers and struggles women still face. Working at the intersection of photography, video, sculpture, painting, and installation, Hovnanian’s multidisciplinary practice critically engages how digital technology transformed human relationships and our perceptions of reality.