JFK
DISPLAY: International Video Art Exhibition
February 21st - March 21st, 2014
Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, PA, USA
In JFK, my opening scene is one of quiet yet resonant action: with a twig in hand, I trace the letters 'JFK' into the frosty mud—a temporary mark in a world of constant motion. This act of writing and erasing becomes a metaphor for memory itself, fragile and fleeting.
As the narrative voice, I begin with "Arrived in JFK," and from there, I unravel my story of transition, of my time spent living in the United States, anchored by the comings and goings at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. This place, bustling with arrivals and departures, is a potent symbol for the personal landmarks of my own journey: the meetings and partings, the joys and sorrows, the hellos and goodbyes that define our human experience.
JFK, for me, is more than an airport—it's a gateway to introspection, a physical space that echoes the inner crossroads I faced as a newcomer and resident in a foreign land from 2008 to 2014. In this work, I explore the universal experience of movement and change, using JFK as a focal point for my own narrative, one that reflects on the transient yet impactful nature of such transitions.
Through JFK, I present not just a sequence of events but a tapestry of time and space. My memories, captured within the frame of this film, are like the words in the mud: they are etched out, observed, and then gradually dissolve back into the earth. This cycle mirrors the ebb and flow of life itself—how we make our mark, however impermanent, and how those marks are eventually reclaimed by time.
This piece is an ode to the ephemeral, a visual and verbal journal of my existence during those transformative years. It is a meditation on the fleeting imprints we leave behind, a reminder that even as time erases our inscriptions, the essence of our experiences endures.