mowed bodies

2017

installation, Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, Austria

mowed grass clippings, plastic pouches

36 x 120 inches

'Mowed bodies' is a critique of the mowing grass from the lens of socio-economic histories and political exploitation - colonizing and altering landscape to display power and people's well-being. This project was materialized in California, a region suffering from drought. While industries continued to grow their businesses, water supply to household plants and trees was cut. However, huge amount of water is still being used to water grass, inject chemicals to force its survival in the desert region, harm the lives of insects and small animals, disrupt the local eco-system, maintenance of lawn and the display of power continues to exist as a mandatory 'maintained' visual of landscape today. Mowed Bodies also addresses danger towards smaller beings that live on ground. The whole work has consumed only a handful of grass clippings - spread out as individual grass bodies—mimicking sampling and individualization.