Yielding Stone (Middle England)

Yielding Stone (Middle England) aims to unpack the colonial narratives that underpin virtually everything in the city of Exeter – the prototype of “Middle England”.

Curator & Artist

My curatorial practice is centred on the concept of Decolonization. Refl ecting on my own Mexican / Italian heritage and life in Exeter as a returning graduate, I want to challenge our shared ways of thinking, which are oftentimes underpinned by Eurocentric universalism; and hopefully create a space that encourages participation, conversation, and education. My project aims to reexamine history and unpack colonial visions in order to understand how spaces of power and privilege are created, and challenge the cultural values and the complex systems of social and political hegemonies that uphold these power structures.

Homage

My performance is inspired by Mexican artist, Gabriel Orozco’s Yielding Stone: a 150-pound plasticine ball that Orozco rolled through the streets of New York in 1992. Orozco describes the ball as a ‘recipient of imprints’ – everything that happens while the ball is rolled around is imprinted onto it, and, automatically, becomes part of the work.

I will take on the role of both artist and curator, as I embark on a mission to roll a large plasticine ball around the city of Exeter, weighing 60kg - roughly equal to my own body weight - conveying the idea of a body in motion, and to represent both my absence and presence in the work. As the plasticine ball is rolled around the streets it will collect dust and sediment, serving as a literal imprint of the environment. My aim is to use the ball’s direct relationship to the physical environment to explore Exeter through a Decolonial lens.