The Weight of Disappearance (2024-Ongoing)
The Weight of Disappearance is a site-specific self-portrait consisting of three forms—cast in the footprint of my apartment—with a total mass of 170 lbs to match my body weight. I developed a custom material for these sculptures using a mixture of tapioca starch, sand, and native seeds from the three places to which I am tied: Taiwan, Toronto, and New York. Through iterative testing, I engineered this binder to be sturdy enough to maintain its structural integrity while remaining fully water-soluble. Once "planted" in my three former New York neighborhoods, these sculptures function as biological clocks, dissolving and germinating to compost my physical presence back into the urban fabric.
A public planting event will take place in Lower Manhattan in the Winter of 2026 as part of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Creative Engagement Award.
Materials: Tapioca Starch, Native Seeds from Taiwan, Toronto, and New York, Sand, Hemp Fibres, Twigs, Vegetable Glycerin, and White Vinegar
Dimensions: 24” x 13” x 10”
This project is made possible in part with funds from Creative Engagement, a regrant program(s) supported by The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DLCA) in partnership with the City Council, and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC).
