Scapegoats (2013-Present)
The Scapegoat Reliquary, 2018
A (Good) American
Heurich House Museum
curated by Philippa Hughes
THE SCAPEGOAT RELIQUARY (2018-Present) is the largest installation of scapegoat idols on view, uniquely exhibited at the Heurich House Museum. Set in the main dining quarters, THE SCAPEGOAT RELIQUARY transforms what is traditionally the most lively part of the Western home into a space dedicated to contemplation, introspection and a celebration of the resiliency and triumph of marginalized immigrant communities. Each sculpted talisman is a meditative exploration of the indoctrination into societal othering as a form of devoted practice. In it, the deity is the Scapegoat Idol, a figurative representation of internalized acts and subconscious thought processes that sacrifice individuals within a community for their Queer existences. The installation invites visitors to assess their personal relationship with bias and contemporary North American ideals which enable and continue white social dominance structures while disparaging immigrant communities of color.