During my visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in North Miami, I had the opportunity to experience Andrea Chung’s exhibition "Between too late and too early." This series explores themes of colonial history and labor, particularly focusing on the Caribbean. Chung uses unique materials and experimental techniques to represent a sense of memory, survival, and cultural identity.
Andrea Chung, Proverbs, 12:22 (2018)
Materials: Sugar, beads, rice, herbs, spices, and paper, site-specific installation
Dimensions: 48 x 36 inches
Form:
● Proverbs, 12:22 has a structured fragile appearance, with blocks arranged in a way that makes them look as if they are melting or breaking down. The surface appears aged and worn, giving the impression of something that is slowly rotting over time. The piece has an organic, almost weathered look, as if it is dissolving before the viewer’s eyes. This sense of transformation makes it feel alive, as if it is caught between formation and disappearance.
Subject:
● Her artwork is inspired by Caribbean history and folklore. It focuses on the role of sugar production in colonial exploitation and how it shaped the lives of many people. The melting sugar blocks represents the mortality of colonial power and the lasting struggles of those who lived through it. The title, Proverbs, 12:22, references truth and betrayal, encouraging viewers to question how history has been told and who controls those stories.
Content:
● Chung explores themes of labor, survival, and battle. Sugar, which was once a symbol of wealth and power, also represents suffering and forced labor. By using sugar as her main material, she highlights how something that was once a tool of cruelty can now be used to tell stories of resilience. Her artwork reminds us that history is not just about facts it’s also about the emotions and experiences of those who lived it.
Technique:
● Chung casted sugar into block-like forms and combining them with resin and organic materials. She carefully arranged these sugar blocks in a way that allows them to appear as if they are melting or breaking down over time. Her technique involves controlling the material’s transformation while also letting natural processes, such as crystallization and mold, play a role in shaping the final appearance.
Why it attracted me:
● This piece stood out to me because I like how the sculpture appear as something that changed over time. The melting effect made me think about how history fades but still leaves a mark. The idea of using sugar as a material really deeply connects to colonialism, making her artwork feel even more meaningful. It made me reflect on how stories of struggle and survival are often overlooked or forgotten, yet they continue to shape the world today.
Andrea Chung, if they put an iron circle around your neck I will bite it away (2022)
Materials: Multimeda Installation
Dimensions: Varied
Form:
● The installation features a large mural painted in a gradient of oceanic blues, creating the illusion of depth and largeness. Emerging from the mural are sculptural blue hands, positioned at different angles, as if reaching, grasping, or floating in the water. A circular platform in the center holds additional blue hands, arranged in a ritualistic or symbolic manner. To the left, framed prints with a similar blue palette add to the atmosphere, while on the right, antique furniture including a vintage sofa and a wooden greenhouse containing plants represents elements of home life and safety.
Subject:
● The blue hands emerging from the seascape represent histories of forced migration, labor, survival, and battle. They make up the existence of individuals lost to the ocean, those who work hard under brutal conditions, and the unseen forces that continue to shape cultural memory. Some hands appear to be reaching grasping for freedom, connection, or something lost while others remain open, as if surrendering to or embracing the unknown. Their placement shows movement, struggle, and courage, blurring the boundary between past and present. The readymade objects, such as the antique sofa, wooden greenhouse, and framed prints, serve as symbols of care and memory. The greenhouse, with its enclosed plants, reflects the fragility of survival both of people and their cultural legacies held within controlled environments.
Content:
● This piece explores themes of migration, survival, memory, and loss. The blue hands emerging from the seascape symbolize those who have been displaced, those who have struggled, and those whose histories have been forgotten. Their reaching gestures suggest courage, longing, and the impact of time on personal and collective memory. The greenhouse reflects the fragility of survival and the care of culture, while the antique sofa and table evoke remains of home and displaced identities. The framed prints, with their deep blue tones, represent archival traces documents of lives that may no longer be remembered.
Technique:
● Andrea Chung combines painting, sculpture, and found-object collection. The oceanic mural is painted in a gradient style, transitioning between deep and pale blues to create an immersive, atmospheric effect. The blue hands, was sculpted from cast in plaster and are added at different angles to interact with both the mural and real space. The framed prints on the left, was created using cyanotype to reinforce themes of archival memory and historical documentation.
Why it attracted me:
● This installation attracted me because it places direct human presence at the forefront. I like how the hands create an eerie yet powerful effect, as if reaching from the past or struggling against the tides of history. They represent both loss and resilience, making the space feel haunted by memory yet alive with movement. The contrast between the seascape, the grasping hands, and the domestic objects adds depth, forcing me to confront themes of survival, displacement, and ability in a deeply personal way.
Andrea Chung, An Unrequited Love (2019)
Materials: Mulitichannel Installation
Dimensions: 20 x 12 x 8
Form: This installation combines sculptural elements with a multichannel video projection, creating a layered and immersive experience. The sculptures feature mannequin heads adorned with decorated, textured wigs. The placement of the pieces, along with the controlled lighting, enhances the visual impact, drawing attention to the intricate details of the wigs and the eerie anonymity of the mannequins.
Subject: Her work explores the history of colonialism and the labor of enslaved workers, particularly in the Caribbean. Chung often focuses on the experiences of Asian migrants who were brought to the region to replace enslaved labor after abolition. The title An Unrequited Love implies a one-sided relationship, symbolizing the unacknowledge offering of these laborers and the emotional and cultural disconnect caused by forced migration. The installation addresses themes of power, bondage, and the lifelong effects of colonial systems on identity and personal history.
Content: Chung uses the symbolism of hair to discuss identity, displacement, and historical erasure. Hair has long been tied to cultural heritage and self-expression, but in this context, it represents the loss of individuality and freedom under trusting labor systems. The wigs, which appear unruly and sculptural, represent how identities were forcibly reshaped or reserved. The multichannel video shows her tying the wig manipulating it. As she combines these elements, the work invites viewers to reconsider how histories of labor and migration continue to shape contemporary identities.
Technique: In this installation, Chung used the wigs that appears to be made from fibers that mimic onatural hair, built through traditional weaving. The mannequin heads, lacking facial features, creates a ghostly appearance that represents themes of anonymity and historical erasure.
Why it Displeased me:
I was diapleased with this installation because I felt disconnected from its intended themes of colonialism and unrequited love, due to the use of wigs. While hair can symbolize identity and transformation, it was unclear how the sculptural wigs directly represent the emotional and historical weight of attached labor or colonial exploitation. To me the wigs, seemed more like an exploration of texture and form rather than a direct representation of the struggles, losses, or cultural dynamics suggested by the title.
