#mocanomi

Andrea Chung, if they put an iron circle around your neck I will bite it away (2022)

Materials: Multimeda Installation

Dimensions: Varied

Form:

● The installation features a large mural painted in a gradient of oceanic blues, creating the illusion of depth and largeness. Emerging from the mural are sculptural blue hands, positioned at different angles, as if reaching, grasping, or floating in the water. A circular platform in the center holds additional blue hands, arranged in a ritualistic or symbolic manner. To the left, framed prints with a similar blue palette add to the atmosphere, while on the right, antique furniture including a vintage sofa and a wooden greenhouse containing plants represents elements of home life and safety.

Subject:

● The blue hands emerging from the seascape represent histories of forced migration, labor, survival, and battle. They make up the existence of individuals lost to the ocean, those who work hard under brutal conditions, and the unseen forces that continue to shape cultural memory. Some hands appear to be reaching grasping for freedom, connection, or something lost while others remain open, as if surrendering to or embracing the unknown. Their placement shows movement, struggle, and courage, blurring the boundary between past and present. The readymade objects, such as the antique sofa, wooden greenhouse, and framed prints, serve as symbols of care and memory. The greenhouse, with its enclosed plants, reflects the fragility of survival both of people and their cultural legacies held within controlled environments.

Content:

● This piece explores themes of migration, survival, memory, and loss. The blue hands emerging from the seascape symbolize those who have been displaced, those who have struggled, and those whose histories have been forgotten. Their reaching gestures suggest courage, longing, and the impact of time on personal and collective memory. The greenhouse reflects the fragility of survival and the care of culture, while the antique sofa and table evoke remains of home and displaced identities. The framed prints, with their deep blue tones, represent archival traces documents of lives that may no longer be remembered.

Technique:

● Andrea Chung combines painting, sculpture, and found-object collection. The oceanic mural is painted in a gradient style, transitioning between deep and pale blues to create an immersive, atmospheric effect. The blue hands, was sculpted from cast in plaster and are added at different angles to interact with both the mural and real space. The framed prints on the left, was created using cyanotype to reinforce themes of archival memory and historical documentation.

Why it attracted me:

● This installation attracted me because it places direct human presence at the forefront. I like how the hands create an eerie yet powerful effect, as if reaching from the past or struggling against the tides of history. They represent both loss and resilience, making the space feel haunted by memory yet alive with movement. The contrast between the seascape, the grasping hands, and the domestic objects adds depth, forcing me to confront themes of survival, displacement, and ability in a deeply personal way.

Andrea Chung, An Unrequited Love (2019)

Materials: Mulitichannel Installation

Dimensions: 20 x 12 x 8

Form: This installation combines sculptural elements with a multichannel video projection, creating a layered and immersive experience. The sculptures feature mannequin heads adorned with decorated, textured wigs. The placement of the pieces, along with the controlled lighting, enhances the visual impact, drawing attention to the intricate details of the wigs and the eerie anonymity of the mannequins.

Subject: Her work explores the history of colonialism and the labor of enslaved workers, particularly in the Caribbean. Chung often focuses on the experiences of Asian migrants who were brought to the region to replace enslaved labor after abolition. The title An Unrequited Love implies a one-sided relationship, symbolizing the unacknowledge offering of these laborers and the emotional and cultural disconnect caused by forced migration. The installation addresses themes of power, bondage, and the lifelong effects of colonial systems on identity and personal history.

Content: Chung uses the symbolism of hair to discuss identity, displacement, and historical erasure. Hair has long been tied to cultural heritage and self-expression, but in this context, it represents the loss of individuality and freedom under trusting labor systems. The wigs, which appear unruly and sculptural, represent how identities were forcibly reshaped or reserved. The multichannel video shows her tying the wig manipulating it. As she combines these elements, the work invites viewers to reconsider how histories of labor and migration continue to shape contemporary identities.

Technique: In this installation, Chung used the wigs that appears to be made from fibers that mimic onatural hair, built through traditional weaving. The mannequin heads, lacking facial features, creates a ghostly appearance that represents themes of anonymity and historical erasure.

Why it Displeased me:

Manuel Mathieu, Les désenchantés (2024)

Materials: Rebar structure with ceramic sculptures, silicone, dust, fabric, siliconeand studio dust

Dimensions: 95 x 144 x 24 in.

Form: Mathieu’s piece features rough, distorted white sculptures displayed on a skeletal metal frame. Torn fabric drapes over the structure, relating to a sense of rottness and destruction. The materials seem to be critically balanced, as if on the edge of collapse.

Subject: The damaged sculptures and crumbly fabrics suggest frustration and loss. The installation feels risky, as if the entire structure could fall apart at any moment, symbolizing fragility.

Content: Mathieu’s Les désenchantés explores a world in weakening, using fragmented forms and damaged materials to communicate loss, disappointment, and the breakdown of societal structures. The crumbling fabrics and damaged sculptures suggest a world where goals have broken, leaving behind only remains of what once was. The work speaks to personal and collective trauma, representing the development of dreams, culture, and identity in the face of existential uncertainty.

Technique: Mathieu's installation uses a raw, organic approach to create a fragile, unstable structure. The skeletal metal framework is set up to match a collapsed structure. The white, distorted sculptures are placed randomly, adding to the sense of weakening. The torn fabrics are purposely distressed and unevenly hung, creating a sense of neglect. The placement of these elements is disordered, giving the impression of a breaking environment or a society in collapse. The technique of using minimalistic use of materials like fabric, wire, and clay gives the work an almost improvised feel, further deepening themes of deconstruction and despair.