Theaster Gates

Amalgam
So Bitter, This Curse of Darkness

The tragic story of the Malaga people served as an inspiration for Chicago-based
artist Theaster Gates, who paied homage to all the victims of the eviction from the
Malaga Island in 1912. Evicted from their homes but not forgotten 45 people are
monumented in trees that signify power and resistance of the locals. The masks make
noises in different time intervals as if they have voices of those who are gone. The
artist uses natural materials such as wood and stone to link his installation with a real
forest with spirits from legends. Theaster Gates invites us to share this experience of
a real life tragedy, that due to the absence of words can only be expressed in art.