Anicka Yi
Artist Statement
My practice explores the way in which language, media, the economy, and biological systems mediate technologies of the self and ways in which art making can be pushed towards an expanded notion of the sensorial. I am interested in connections between materials and materialism, states of perishability and their relationship to meaning and value, consumerist digestion and cultural metabolism, smuggling, stomachs as biological metaphor, molecular gastronomy, scent, the fragrance industry as memory machine, commodification of creativity, public relations as medium, and posthumanist theory with its sociopolitical implications for the body, and by extension, the senses.
While at Headlands
At While at Headlands I plan to focus on long term and heavily research-based projects, and to have the opportunity for vital field research and studio time. The Headlands residency interests me because of the biodiverse setting and access it would provide me to the striking coastal landscape and all associated flora and fauna. I am extremely drawn to the animal, plant, and marine life the region, and having a strong biological thread in my practice compels me to research and immerse myself in the rich ecosystem of the Headlands. The residency will allow me to explore for the first time what it means to be a body in a predominantly natural environment for an extended period of time, and to utilize that time for continuing my developing artistic pursuits.
