Photo via John Michael Kohler Arts Center
JMKAC
In the 1950s, alien-invasion films established a mindset that extraterrestrials seek to destroy the vulnerable and overtake planet Earth. Today, environmental organizations battle invasive species that might permanently alter ecosystems.
In Naturalization, a newly commissioned installation at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, artist Sunny Leerasanthanah references these perspectives and highlights comparable language used regarding immigrants and refugees in the United States.
In one video, actors portray National Park Rangers working with invasive species. They deliver improvised lines based on their real-life experiences arriving and living in the US, combined with concepts of authority over land and bodies. As satire, the work describes how systems of power can establish and perpetuate xenophobia.
Leerasanthanah’s second video features macro imagery of nature saturated in multicolored lights. Texts from governmental policies, news articles, biologists, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service display reactions toward invasive species. Removed from their original context, the words convey values denying the freedom of human and nonhuman foreign entities.
The exhibition doesn’t justify the presence of invasive species. Nor does it seek to devalue work to preserve the environment. Leerasanthanah emphasizes a broader understanding of belonging, highlighting the impact of imposing a single entity’s definition of “natural.”
Sunny Leerasanthanah: Naturalization is on view through Jan. 28, 2024. Admission is free. Visit jmkac.org to plan your visit.
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