We learn the names of those we never knew
Ruck, Kate (2024-10-02)
Ruck, Kate
Taideyliopiston Kuvataideakatemia
02.10.2024
Maisterin opinnäytetyö
kuvanveisto
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2024120499600
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2024120499600
Kuvaus
This thesis explores We learn the names of those we never knew, an installation of seventeen bronze sculptures cast using the sand-casting technique and a lyrical poem affixed to a window, which addresses themes of memory and reclamation. This project, which focuses on rematerializing oral histories and the role of materials as witnesses, has been deeply informed by ancestral knowledge, community practices, and the writings of Indigenous authors sharing their lived experiences. Their perspectives on land, memory, and storytelling have guided the conceptual framework, offering a pathway to reconnect with primal ways of knowing and being. In exploring the project’s themes, parallels can be drawn to the works of many artists of color who engage with relationships to community, land, and heritage, including Maria Thereza Alves, Elaine Gan, Ana Mendieta, and MADEYOULOOK. Philosophers such as Isabelle Stengers, Karen Barad, and Donna Haraway have also contributed to the broader discourse on materiality, relationality, and interconnectedness. While these artists and thinkers offer significant context, the focus here remains on the artistic process, materialities, and the staging and reception of the work. The sculptures and installation form the core of the project, while this written component reflects on the approach and the challenges of material choices and their impact on the resulting works. Organized into chapters, it traces the project’s development from initial ideas to final execution, highlighting key aspects of the artistic process in an effort to not only make visible untold stories and histories, but also evoke a reflection on memory and a sense of return.
Tiivistelmä
Abstract
This thesis examines We learn the names of those we never knew, an installation that
rematerializes oral histories using bronze, graphite, and digital technologies. Inspired by The Three Sisters, an Indigenous agricultural practice and story originating in North and Central America, the project combines seventeen bronze sculptures with site-specific poetry to explore themes of memory, reclamation, and material agency. The sculptures, cast using traditional sand techniques, engage with the land and institutional architecture of KuvA and The Kuoppa (or The Pit), reflecting on how cultural memory is both preserved and erased. By drawing on Indigenous Knowledge systems and the historical associations of bronze, the thesis offers a reflection on the role of art in making visible the narratives and gestures that have been obscured over time.
This thesis examines We learn the names of those we never knew, an installation that
rematerializes oral histories using bronze, graphite, and digital technologies. Inspired by The Three Sisters, an Indigenous agricultural practice and story originating in North and Central America, the project combines seventeen bronze sculptures with site-specific poetry to explore themes of memory, reclamation, and material agency. The sculptures, cast using traditional sand techniques, engage with the land and institutional architecture of KuvA and The Kuoppa (or The Pit), reflecting on how cultural memory is both preserved and erased. By drawing on Indigenous Knowledge systems and the historical associations of bronze, the thesis offers a reflection on the role of art in making visible the narratives and gestures that have been obscured over time.
Kokoelmat
- Kirjalliset opinnäytteet [1557]