Crossings and Currents

by Ruminate Magazine September 04, 2019

Yu-Wen Wu's visual art from the series Crossings and Currents appears in Issue No. 52: In Transit.

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YU-WEN WU
CROSSINGS AND CURRENTS

Human migration and climate change are the defining issues of Yu-Wen Wu’s work. Recent projects—Crossings, Currents, High-Water Mark, and Leavings/Belongings—call attention to the urgency of addressing global migration issues.

In Crossings (an installation with artist Harriet Bart), Wu’s thirty-eight-foot video and an installation of six tons of rocks reiterates the upward trend of global displacement. By the end of 2018, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, approximately 68.5 million people had been displaced.

Currents presents a cartographic overview of the flow of global migration. Interconnected pathways trace movement within countries, across borders and continents. The massive number of migration routes denote the scope of geopolitical turmoil. Red threads trace transitional ties from a place of origin in search of a safe haven. 

Crossings, 2016 (installation view 1). 6:27’ HD video, 38’ projection, 6 tons of field rocks. Dimensions variable.

 

Crossings, 2016 (installation view 3). 6:27’ HD video, 38’ projection, 6 tons of field rocks. Dimensions variable.

 

Crossings, 2016. 6:27’ HD video, Video still 2:01’.

 

Currents, 2018 (detail). Thread, sand, graphite on duralar. 158 x 120 inches.

 

Currents, 2018 (installation view). Thread, sand, graphite on duralar. 158 x 120 inches.

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YU-WEN WU is a Boston-based multimedia artist. Born in Taiwan, her experiences as an immigrant have shaped her work in areas of migration examining issues of displacement, arrival, assimilation, and the shape of identity in a new country. At the crossroads of art, science, politics, and cultural issues, her wide range of projects include large-scale drawings, site- specific video installations, community engaged practices, and public art. Her work has been exhibited in many contexts including museums, galleries, and outdoor public spaces. www.yuwenwu.com

View and read the other art, stories, and poems from Ruminate's Issue 52: In Transit.

 

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