Yimei(Emair) Zhu
Sight Cite
- 2024
- Yarn, wool, screen, servo motors, antique spinning wheel
- Installation
“Sight Cite”, which expands in various directions and orientations, serves as a metaphor for navigation and adaptation. It draws a parallel between the navigational ability of slime mold to find the quickest route possible, with the everyday challenges faced by the visually impaired navigating in an environment fraught with obstacles.
For instance, just as slime molds adapt to their environment to survive, individuals and societies have historically navigated around and through the impediments of oppressive regimes, cultural censorship, and social inequalities. One could liken the resilience of the visually impaired navigating a cluttered urban landscape to that of grassroots movements finding innovative paths to mobilize and enact social change despite systemic barriers. Just as vehicles on tactile paths present unexpected obstacles, so too do political and social structures, creating barriers that require communities to constantly adapt and seek new routes forward. How we face and perceive obstacles impacts how we can overcome those hurdles.
It is an invitation to reflect upon how each of us, like the visually impaired or a slime mold, searches for optimal paths within the confines of our own limitations and societal constructs. I want to contemplate the interplay between the seen and the unseen paths that shape our lives, encouraging a deeper understanding of the ‘vision’ we hold for a more accessible and equitable society.
