What’s Passed Down explores the connection between historical and intergenerational trauma, while using water as a medium for accessing and healing painful memories. Exploring water as both a symbol for healing and a signifier for the Middle Passage, I periodically submerged myself in a full bathtub. Upon surfacing for air, I confronted a video image of my mother, who is enduring the dripping of water down her face. The distorted sound of dripping water mimics the sound of a ticking clock and a heartbeat, emphasizing the connection of trauma across multiple lifetimes. Through our performances, we both engage with physical discomfort and vulnerability through the practice of self-sacrifice as ritual.
photo by Aaron Wilder
photo by Aaron Wilder
photo by Aaron Wilder
photo by Aaron Wilder
photo by Aaron Wilder