Strata of memory, 2018
Madou Sugar Industry Art Triennial, Taiwan
Site-specific installation: Sugar cane bagasse, beet pulp, and recycled paper on a wooden structure.
Through the shape of an imaginary architecture made of handmade paper, my installation reflects upon the hidden stories behind the landscape: narratives of daily gestures and labour. The layers of the paper refer to the stratification of time and memories in a humanized landscape that beholds visual traces of its past. The relation with the historical past of Tsung Yeh as a place of production is addressed through an intense commitment to the process of making, which became a performative act developed for four months. The use of sugar cane bagasse and beet pulp in the paper mixture is a conceptual bridge to the raw materials employed in sugar production in Europe and Asia, as well as research towards innovative uses of paper. This metaphorical landscape, built by time and process, will be steadily transforming its features being exposed to the weather; becoming a visual reminder of our daily habits' impact on the environment. The spectator is invited to experience the work from within and inhabit the space, moving between the ruins of a lost past that looks fragile but is present like a memory.