Forging American:
Art in the Workings of an
Asian American Rust Belt
The Home Project
September 8 - November 17, 2017
Participants: Natalie Fleming, Becky Koenig, Charles LaMendola, Bethany Moody, and
Video: Natalie Fleming, Van Tran Nguyen, and Jean Zhu
Interviews: Margaret Anre, Ashin Vilar Ga, Saw Maung Htwar, April Phaw, & Wha Stina
Translation: Law Eh Soe
What differentiates a home from any other space? A home is more than just a piece of property for you to own. It often serves as a space of safety, belonging, relaxation, privacy, solace, familiarity, connection, and love. While what constitutes a home is certainly not universal in terms of physical borders, accoutrements, customs, or communities, our mutual need for such a concept connects us all. In a world that is often presented as unfamiliar and divisive, such reminders of our shared connections are more important than ever.
The Home Project includes objects that Buffalo community members selected as representations of what home means to them, which, taken together, create a living space. At the end of the exhibition, these contributions were donated to the International Institute of Buffalo, to be used to help create welcoming homes for refugees and immigrants settling in Western New York.
The video features interviews with five Karen, Karenni, and Chin Burmese refugees discussing their own conceptions of home while tracing their movements from their origins in Burma, through their stay in Thai and Malaysian refugee camps, to their current residences in Buffalo, New York.
