Colorblind


soil, ash, sand, sound

2023

Exhibited as a part of

“KANTEN 観点 : The Limits of History”
curated by Eimi Tagore-Erwin
March 24 – May 20, 2023


apexart
291 Church St, New York, NY 10013, United States



Topsoil

Ash of coral reef

Ash of animals deemed “harmful” by public authorities

Ash of seaweed

River sand from the site of a racial massacre

Soil from Seneca Village

The stratum is a metaphor for the accumulation and repetition of human violence that lie beneath the convenience of our everyday lives in modern society. Paired with the artist’s readings of passages from Toni Morrison’s novels, Colorblind offers an homage to the countless lives that have been erased and buried in all corners of the world.

Headphone 1 (right): Selected reading from Paradise, Toni Morrison (1998)
Headphone 2 (left): Selected reading from Home, Toni Morrison (2012)
Pedestal text: Passage from Home, Toni Morrison (2012), pp. 23-24

This work was inspired by the ash I collected from the cremation company for harmful animals killed by the government.The nasally smell emanating from the ashes was reminiscent of the suffering of the animals.

We are living on top of the layers of human’s repeated mistakes.

One layer consists of the soil from the Seneca Village, where the black community once resided and was evicted to make a public space as Central Park.

Another layer consists of river sand from the anonymous site where the dead bodies of the victims of the racial massacre were buried and undiscovered

Ash of “harmful animals” killed by the public authority to protect farmers and public health are placed with the layers of the ash of coral reef, and the ash of seaweed. The governments kill millions of animals each year to protect farmers and the public health of humans. When we are killing a large number of anonymous “harmful” animals for human benefit, how can we avoid the pervading mental disorder?

This work is based on my recent research on animal slaughter in our contemporary society and how these massacres affect our human psyche.

The sound pieces are selected readings from Toni Morrison’s novel.  Only the parts related to the Korean War or The Vietnam War are read by the artist. 

Special Thanks to:
Eimi Tagore-Erwin
Ryan Soper
Ash Hagerstrand
Steven Rand

Rebecca Jennison