Sand, Ceramic, Performance, Video 17: 20
4/2024

Flat Sand is Boundless was inspired by the vegetable garden in my grandmother’s yard, nestled between the furrows. The white elements in the installation are ceramic vegetables I created by coating real vegetables with clay and firing them at high temperatures. The vegetables turned to ash during firing, leaving only hollow ceramic shells.

This immersive installation explores the fluidity of space, the impermanence of existence, and the complex interactions between humans, labor, and technology. Sand and the robotic vacuum cleaner (Roomba) together create a dynamic, ever-changing environment. The Roomba operated continuously for 10 hours, leaving intricate patterns on the sand that symbolize the cycles and continuity of human and mechanical labor. While the weight of the sand remains constant, its form undergoes perpetual transformation. Despite changes in appearance and structure over time and space, its intrinsic value remains immutable. Similarly, the patterns left by the Roomba resemble successive layers of human existence on shared land, reflecting the fluidity of external environments and social roles while affirming the endurance of core values and essence.

A small projector is placed on top of the Roomba, moving along with it, causing the projected image to change size and angle throughout the space. The projection shows a Google Map of my grandmother’s garden, connecting physical space with memory, and blending technology with land, highlighting the overlap and transformation between the virtual and the real. The Roomba recognizes the ceramic vegetables as obstacles, symbolizing humanity’s ongoing negotiation between reality and the virtual, and between nature and technology. Audience interaction with the Roomba’s movement generates a dynamic interplay of light, shadow, and space, prompting reflection on the relationships among time, memory, labor, and environment.

The work also engages with cultural, environmental, and technological interconnections, linking agricultural practice, technological development, and human relationships to land. Through participation, observation, and contemplation, the installation invites viewers to reflect on their role in shaping space, the relationship between human actions and technology, and the enduring impact of labor and collective activity.