Exhibition

Missing | Persons: Six Artists and a Communal Project Explore Identity & Loss

October 15 - November 22, 2003

Curated by Svea Lin Vezzone with Guest Artist Taro Hattori

Six Artists—Reneé Billingslea, Mayumi Hamanaka, Hannah Hammond-Hagman, Taro Hattori, Titus Kaphar, and Hank Willis Thomas—use objects such as soiled shirts, eyeglasses, photography, video, and more to examine the theme of missing persons. The artists, whose subjects range geographically from New York, Philadelphia, the Southern US and Japan, Cambodia and Africa, each delve into the issues of missing persons with deeply personal and conceptual approaches, unearthing the common thread that connects us all to our history and humanness.

Their subjects include nameless African slaves lynched in the United States, Japanese surrender and the US-Japan political relationship after World War II, girls trapped in Cambodia's oppressive industry circles, gender-scripting, loved ones lost, individuals perished in the events of 9/11, and the quest for identity under the psychological impact of racism.

The Communal Project

In the front gallery, local artists and poets were invited to install work expressing their experiences with identity and loss.

As long as there is space on the wall, you are welcome to contribute. Please speak with a gallery staff member at the front desk for details.