Those That Came Before Us

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Ayam Yaldo, "Impossible Sites," 2021

13:03 min. Courtesy of the Artist.

Rooted within human history is the displacement and migration of people. These experiences often reshape our lives, identities, communities, notions of belonging, and broader understanding of the world. With displacement and migration often comes the loss of knowledge – of the stories, histories, lives, and places – of those that came before us. This erasure of the past- of parts of our own family histories, creates a sense of loss and grief within many of us. How can we look toward the future without an understanding of the past – of the stories of our ancestors, our culture, our origins?  

In this program artists retrace their family histories through fragmented memories, letters, artifacts, archives, and their imaginations. Using technology such as 3D video, chroma keying, and experimental film processes – these artists place themselves and the viewer within the stories – within the images. Drawing on the hapticity of film and video, these artists create felt and embodied experiences in an attempt to unearth that which was lost and to connect to those that came before us.  

Featuring artwork by: Elian Mikkola, Ayam Yaldo, Leila Sujir, Amanda Strong and Bracken Hanuse Corlett, Yanyu Dong.