YuHsin Wu
Parallax, 2021
Medium: foam, digital space. Dimensions: 74”x 12” x4.5”
I explore the space between two cultural sectors, West and East. In Parallax, I use foam to materialize and capture abstract content such as space, culture, objects or people, which are all protected and transported by bubble cushions. From the front perspective of the sculpture, one can attempt to see the indentation on both sides at the same time. When doing so, the eyes produce subtle absurdities that are difficult to focus on. When people stand on both sides of the rim and try to comprehend them, it creates a vision of neither West nor East.
The imprints implicate travel and traces of its origin and destination. The sculpture is a flat plane that cuts through space to generate new possibilities. This results in the adaptation of a newfound identity that expands its entity. Parallax is engaging the societal context of contradictions brought about by the movement of populations under the globalization paradox.
The floating quality in the sculpture symbolizes the immigrants who are in a state of constant flux and movement, floating between two cultures and navigating the complexities of identity in a globalized world. The foam cushioning represents the protective and supportive nature of the community, while also suggesting the fragility and uncertainty of the immigrant experience. The Parallax sculpture challenges the viewer to re-examine their perceptions of cultural identity and explore the space between cultural non-binaries.