Whispers from the Divide
Location: William Mathers Gallery
Opening: October 19, 2024
Lead Curator: Brandie Macdonald
Lead Artist: Jawshing Arthur Liou, Herman B Wells Professor, Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design
Soundtrack: Steven Wayne Thomas
Arthur Liou's video installation, "Whispers from the Divide," seeks to encapsulate the tangible and intangible barriers between the US-Mexico border. The video, filmed on both sides of the border, is projected onto two sides of a wall, signaling the physical and symbolic divides. The project navigates through diverse landscapes from San Diego to Brownsville and from Matamoros to Tijuana, embracing the ritual of walking as a form of meditation and reflection.
The work fosters a space for empathy and understanding amidst a backdrop of political tumult and the complicated issues surrounding immigration and identity. As described by Liou “When Whispers from the Divide was conceived in 2018, the language of “The Wall” was used as a political token, overshadowing every social, economic, and humanitarian discussion about immigration policy. I hope this project will bring a fresh viewpoint to the current events and a space for us to envision the border in different settings.”
The bi-lingual (Spanish and English) exhibition will feature an interactive space where guests and community members can share their stories of visiting the US-Mexico border.
Whispers from the Divide was made possible by the generous support from the College Arts and Humanities Institute, the Public Arts and Humanities Project Grant at Indiana University, Bloomington, and the Indiana University Mexico Gateway.
About Jawshing Arthur Liou
Jawshing Arthur Liou is an artist with a background in photography, digital media, film, and journalism. His recent projects include a pilgrimage in the sacred mountains in Tibet, a journey through the tsunami-ravaged coastline of Japan, and a cinematic collaboration with a brain scientist regarding the connection between endocannabinoids and memory. Liou works with lens-based materials and electronic imaging to create installations depicting mental and surreal spaces. Many of his videos do not contain clear narratives but are meditative in nature, allowing time to slow to a ruminative pace while spatial scales oscillate between the microcosmic and infinitely expansive. Using sources ranging from landscapes and oil paint to human body, much of Liou’s work is related to notions of impermanence, human tragedy, and spiritual sanctuary.
Liou’s videos and prints have been featured in programs, exhibitions, and collections in Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Rubin Museum in New York, Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, Indianapolis Museum of Art, National Gallery Victoria, Melbourne, Seoul Museum of Art, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Red Brick Museum, Beijing, Art Basel: Hong Kong, and Sharjah Biennial. Liou is the recipient of Asian Cultural Council Grant, New York; Efroymson Contemporary Arts Fellowship, Indianapolis; and Garry B. Fritz Award from the Society for Photographic Education National Conference, Chicago. International presentations of his work include SIGGRAPH conference; European Biennial Conference of the Society for Science, Literature, and the Arts; and Chicago Humanities Festival.