Tag: Emotional Baggage Carts

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Art in Odd Places 2024: CARE Festival – Join Me and 75 Other Artists in a Chorus of Care!

I’m excited to announce that the Emotional Baggage Cart Parade will be part of Art in Odd Places (AiOP) 2024: CARE Festival, happening from October 18-20, 2024, along 14th Street in Manhattan! Curated by Patricia Miranda and Christopher Kaczmarek, this year’s festival brings together 76 incredible artists and collectives to explore and celebrate the concept of “CARE” in all its forms.

Art in Odd Places is a unique festival where art breaks out of traditional spaces and takes over the streets, and I am thrilled to be one of the participating artists this year. This year’s theme, CARE, invites us to pause and reflect on questions like: Who do we give care to? What is worthy of our care? When can care be too much? And can we extend our care beyond ourselves, our families, and even beyond our species?

For my piece, the Emotional Baggage Cart Parade, I’m inviting everyone to come together and confront the psychological burdens we carry daily. By transforming ordinary shopping carts into mobile art installations, this parade offers a powerful metaphor for the emotional baggage we all carry. The goal is to create a communal space where participants can symbolically release these burdens, fostering empathy, connection, and healing. I’m eager to share this experience with you all!

A Preview of the Festival

Let me give you a sneak peek at some of the other powerful works you’ll encounter at the AiOP 2024 CARE Festival:

  • Fungal Entanglement by the Lichen Likers is a wearable fabric sculpture activated by performance, encouraging us to care for the non-human citizens of New York City. Join them for an embodied experience that opens up new ways to connect with the environment we all share.
  • COAST/LINES by Earthworks, featuring Catherine Chen and Cristina Bartley Dominguez, is a moving performance that addresses the tensions and burdens of our changing landscapes by slowly transporting a boulder sculpture through the city.
  • Coneheads by Giannina Gomez offers a playful yet poignant take on public health and safety in our chaotic urban environment, helping those in need and reminding everyone to stay alert.
  • you are here by Deirdre Macleod presents an alternative way of navigating and knowing a city through a slow, careful act of drawing and mapping the fragments of 14th Street at a 1:1 scale. It’s a meditative experience that makes us think about what it means to truly see and understand a place.
  • WASH!: rituals for healing at the laundry line by the WasherWoman Collective is a community installation and story-sharing experience that invites us to witness and honor the contributions of our foremothers, moving through grief towards a future reimagined.
  • Urban Animist Intervention Ritual Hex by Creatures From The Hole Poetry & Film Collective//Autocracy will roam 14th Street, activating urban “inanimates” and engaging the public in their whimsical and revolutionary “puppet” interventions.

These are just a few of the fantastic works that will be featured at AiOP 2024 CARE. This festival will challenge, inspire, and move us as we think deeply about what it means to care for ourselves, each other, and our world. Full details of all projects, along with the locations and timing of performances, will be released in mid-September, so stay tuned!

Join Us!

Mark your calendars for October 18-20, 2024, and come experience the art, creativity, and deep reflections on care that AiOP 2024 CARE has to offer. I can’t wait to share the streets of Manhattan with all of you in this incredible festival of public art!

See you there, and let’s join together in a chorus of care!

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Where is Malibu Kristie?

April 2023, Paracord, ribbon, cool LED lights and various vintage Barbies on gold spray painted recovered shopping cart. 36 x 40 x 24 in
Theda Sandiford “Where is Malibu Kristie?” April 2023, Paracord, ribbon, cool LED lights and various vintage Barbies on gold spray painted recovered shopping cart. 36 x 40 x 24 in

In the 1970s, finding a Black Barbie doll could be quite challenging due to limited availability and prevailing racial attitudes. During this time, the toy market was predominantly geared towards white consumers, and Barbie dolls were primarily produced with Caucasian features.

For Black children who wanted a doll that reflected their own appearance, options were scarce. Many toy stores carried a limited selection of Black dolls, and those that were available often faced issues like lower production quantities, less prominent shelf placement, and sometimes higher prices compared to their white counterparts.

Moreover, societal norms and prejudices influenced both the production and marketing of toys, including dolls. Some toy companies were hesitant to diversify their product lines due to concerns about profitability or fear of backlash from consumers who were not yet ready to embrace racial diversity in toys.

As a result, families seeking Black Barbie dolls in the 1970s had to search more extensively, to find a doll that represented their child’s racial or ethnic identity. This scarcity and the challenges of finding representation in toys underscored the broader social inequalities and cultural biases of the time.

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Middle Passage Installation

The Atlantic Slave Trade laid the groundwork for modern capitalism, unfolding in three stages: arms, textiles, and wine from Europe to Africa; enslaved people from Africa to the Americas; and sugar and coffee from the Americas to Europe. The brutal Middle Passage marked the journey of enslaved Africans to the Americas.

As a Caribbean and African American woman, I am still emotionally unpacking my identity through this historical trauma. The metaphorical baggage carts, not fully covered in zip ties, symbolize my ongoing struggle with unresolved emotional baggage, reflecting a deep and personal connection to this painful history.

Middle Passage Installation
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Navigating Racial Trauma: Weaving Strength through Emotional Baggage Carts

Despite the growing commitment to fostering racial equity, the daily experiences of women of color show little improvement. The persistence of microaggressions remains a stark reality, echoing the challenges faced before the emergence of the BLM movement. These microaggressions carry significant consequences, fostering stress, anger, frustration, self-doubt, and, ultimately, a sense of powerlessness and invisibility. Within this emotional landscape, my Emotional Baggage Carts emerge as vessels for the weight of racial trauma, offering a transformative act of liberation.

Weaving the Sting:

The act of crafting these carts is a powerful mechanism for weaving the sting of daily microaggressions into a tangible form. As I engage in this creative process, the emotional weight of these incidents is incorporated into the cart. This act of making serves as a cathartic release, offering a means to free myself from the constraints imposed by these triggers.

Liberation through Creation:

In the intricate process of weaving, the emotional baggage is not merely contained; it is transformed into a symbol of strength and resilience. The Emotional Baggage Carts become vessels that encapsulate the stories of microaggressions, allowing me to navigate and confront the emotional toll. Through this creative act, I reclaim a sense of agency and freedom, breaking free from the shackles of stress and self-doubt that accompany these daily challenges.

A Transformative Journey:

Each cart becomes a visual representation of the emotional journey, woven with threads of endurance and empowerment. The transformative nature of this creative endeavor serves as a testament to the strength and resilience inherent in women of color. The Emotional Baggage Carts stand not as burdens but as artifacts of triumph over adversity.

In the pursuit of racial equity, acknowledging the persistent challenges faced by women of color is essential. The Emotional Baggage Carts represent more than vessels for racial trauma; they embody a transformative journey toward resilience and empowerment. As microaggressions persist, these carts become symbols of strength, enabling women of color to weave their narratives of endurance and liberation, reclaiming a sense of agency in the face of adversity.

WoBeGone
photo credit Amoz Wright
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Art as Catalyst: Part 2

Through my social practice, I strive to create spaces that transcend the conventional boundaries of artistic expression. I mobilize communities, encouraging them to participate in a collective dialogue about the issues that matter. The power of art lies not just in its visual or auditory appeal, but in its ability to challenge preconceptions, question norms, and inspire action.

Art, as a tool for social change, is not confined to grand gestures or monumental installations. It is found in the subtle nuances of everyday life, in the stories of individuals, and in the shared experiences that bind us together. My work seeks to tap into this collective consciousness, fostering connections that serve as a catalyst for change.

Emotional Baggage Cart Installation
Mansplaining Baggage Cart
Follow the Thread: Emotional Baggage Cart Installation
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Beyond Aisles: Unveiling Profound Narratives Woven in Shopping Carts

In the whirlwind of our daily lives, the depth of meaning carried by ordinary objects often escapes our notice. Amidst the commonplace, the unassuming shopping cart emerges as an unacknowledged heroine, quietly threading its way through the intricate fabric of our societal and cultural tapestry.

The Multifaceted Language of Materials:

Picture the shopping cart not just as a practical carrier of groceries but as a canvas adorned with the threads of our experiences. Crafted from materials that carry layers of metaphorical significance, each cart tells a unique story. The cool, metallic structure might symbolize suburbanism and convenience, yet simultaneously evoke contemplation about homelessness and food insecurity.

As we traverse the aisles of life, our hands establish a tangible connection with the world and the people around us. The materials speak in a silent language, open to interpretation by each observer. The rhythmic clatter of wheels against the floor becomes a beat accompanying us on the journey through life.

Unveiling the Unseen:

Much like a tapestry, the genuine beauty of the shopping cart lies in the unseen threads—intangible elements weaving through our emotions. It becomes a vessel for personal translations, reflecting our unique perspectives. Projecting meanings onto the cart’s textile, tangible and abstract emotions intertwine.

Placing items in the cart becomes a metaphor for life choices. What we choose to keep or discard mirrors the decisions we confront daily. The cart transforms into a tangible representation of our personal narrative, an evolving story told through the products we select and release.

An Invitation to Reflect:

Amidst the chaos, I encourage you to pause and peer more closely within. Engage with the materials, trace the contours of the cart, and reflect on the emotions it stirs within you. Consider your story—what memories do you deposit in the cart, and how does pushing it metaphorically align with navigating the twists and turns of your unique journey?

In the grand tapestry of life, the shopping cart assumes a central role as a silent yet powerful storyteller. Its materials, structure, and the experiences encapsulated within contribute to a narrative that is exclusively yours. So, the next time you find yourself guiding a shopping cart, remember, it’s not just about procuring goods; you are intricately weaving the fabric of your own story.

Follow the Thread: Emotional Baggage Cart Installation
Follow the Thread: Emotional Baggage Cart Installation
Follow the Thread: Emotional Baggage Cart Installation