April 11, 2007
Three More Days :: It's More than Art
The Still Present Pasts exhibit is more than just art. It is the collective memories and stories of individuals and families affected by war and displacement. It is about growing up without a history, without family heirlooms, without an appreciation of sacrifices, losses, and yearnings. When I was young, my parents avoided discussions about the war. On occasion, my mother would make a passing reference to Japanese soldiers, living without heat or food, and even my grandmother being put in front of a death squad. They were like morsels of the best tasting food that I had ever eaten but, in the same instance, it was like a forbidden fruit that I could not ask for again. It was taboo to ask openly. I rarely did.
As I got older, I found myself avoiding the subject because I didn't want to burden my parents. They worked long hours and were tired most of the time, so I just let them rest. In turn, they thought only of the future and avoided recollecting the past. Sometimes, my father would mention a distant relative or classmate and wonder aloud if the person was still alive in what is now North Korea. Usually, he already had drank a beer to relax after a 14 hour work day.
As chair of the steering committee for the Still Present Pasts exhibit and programming, I have had a chance to revisit this collective and family history. On my recent trip home, I asked my father about our family tree, our heritage, our lineage. He chuckled in amusement at this request but then seriously focused on the task at hand. Suddenly, he would recall various tidbits of information. It was as if 54 years after the war was finally enough time to look back and share. These morsels of history made my hungry mind feel sated for the first time.
Please check out our series of SPP events that are occurring each week throughout the run of the exhibit. Click here for a full listing of events.
Posted by richlee at April 11, 2007 05:43 PM