Event 3: Hammer Museum

In week one, we talked about two cultures which is what Karin Higa did here with this piece at the Hammer Museum. She connects the worlds of Asian America and the US. Karin was known for introducing Japanese American artists to museums in the Los Angeles area. The colorful ribbons piecing together is a signature Japanese style. These represent the coming together and denying segregation in the world.

When asking a worker her opinion on the objective of this gallery, she told me it was contemporary art to show societal issues. There was no art piece throughout the whole exhibit that displayed her explanation better than this. Although slavery has been outlawed for decades now, it is still obvious that white supremacy still exists. Especially with the new elected president, it just shows how strong white supremacy still is in the world. When reading the sign, I looked at the black lettering being a representation of minorities, and the red background being their blood caused by unnecessary reasons. As strong as a visualization as that is, it strikes out to me, wanting to help societal change for equality.

Of course, one of the most famous parts of the museum are these chairs. As you lean back, you feel like you’re about to fall on your back, cracking your head. The unevenness of the chair makes your stomach drop as you put your life in its hands attempting to spin around. As you lean and trust the chair, you start spinning round, rotating as well. This goes along with the combination of art and science, as the science is being able to rotate and spin around without falling and art plays in effect with the style of the chair.