Jolt | yuhsinwu

Jolt, 2022

Medium: 11.5lbs of wood, 12lbs of tensile strength monofilament, exterior force

Dimensions: 8’ x8’ x 2”

Jolt explores the intersection of identity status and geographic location within unstable social structures. The oscillating module symbolizes a piece of land that shifts underfoot in a state of flux or change. The intersecting bars represent coordinates on axes or individuals with different points of view. The position of where you and I stand is always delineated by two contradictory axes. The moment the structure of our biases collapses, change begins.

Before stepping into the exhibition of Jolt, a constant percussive sound is heard. When the audience enters the exhibition space, they will first see the grid structure 2” above the ground banging the wall back and forth from time to time. Jolt is 6'x6' internally. 8'x8'x2” total. It weighs 11.5 lbs and is suspended by 12 lbs tensile strength of monofilament. The way the grid is hung reflects the structural threshold of the grid itself. The color of the structure is similar to the ground. Jolt divides the space into 3 sections: the space in front of the structure, inside the upheaval system and the location after you have traversed the system. The traces left by the impact of the structure created a new landscape on the wall.

“On June 4, 2021, when I was on my way home on the Chicago L train Brown Line, a man with a hammer in his hand walked towards me while banging the seats one by one...”

Jolt implies the social distance that one occupies in the volume of space. I am an Asian woman living in the United States. The crossed bars in Jolt reference how social issues are intertwined with identity status and geographic location. The voice of resistance is presented in a deep, but sonorous and powerful form. Asian hate crimes have increased 149% since the pandemic (Stop AAPI Hate National Report, 2021). Racism has been built into our systems. Prejudice exists in systematic discrimination.