Diary f a Yung Bat by AM Hch at Casa di Reclusine Femminile della Giudecca in Venice, Italy curated by Prfessr Silvia Evangelisti A crwdfunding and fundraising prject
Diary f a Yung Bat by AM Hch intrductin The Diary f a Yung Bat is a kind f interdimensinal radi play smetimes with and smetimes withut any actual radis invlved. The shape-shifting frms this nging series takes reflect the heart f its embedded narrative: the fictinal aural diary f a pubescent girl wh miraculusly transfrms int a bat. The installatins in this series are remnants like shucked-ff ccns f the girl s abandned selves, which cumulatively create a prtrait f a self that isn t defined by a slid mass r bunded by a cntur. Instead, what emerges is an authentic representatin f the delicate messiness f being: a precariusly balanced system f perceptin, memry and imaginatin. The ntin f embedded narratives has been key in the develpment f my interdimensinal installatins, in which suspended sculptures incrprate the space arund them, while embedded vides and language (written r aural) are prtals int anther time and space. AM Hch Numerus site-specific installatins and/r perfrmances f the Diary f a Yung Bat have premiered in Italy since 2011, but the permanent installatin and perfrmance f the The Diary planned fr the Wmen s Prisn in Giudecca in Venice (Casa di Reclusine Femminile della Giudecca ) prvides a particularly apt incarnatin f the Yung Bat. The merging f the upcming site-specific installatins with their surrundings in the Wmen s Prisn in Venice will nt nly allw the wrk t take n deeper layers f meaning, but als allw viewers the inmates firsthand, and the general public frm afar t engage with the artwrk as a vital part f their lives. AM HOCH; Bat Suls; DETAIL f sculpture/painting; apprx 54 x 83 in., (137cm x 211 cm) 2008/2011 a crwdfunding and fundraising prject 2
Diary f a Yung Bat by AM Hch Casa di Reclusine Femminile della Giudecca The Wmen s Prisn in Giudecca in Venice, Italy, is internatinally renwned fr its dedicatin t prviding a safe place fr the rehabilitatin and recvery f its inmates. The effectiveness f its fcus n regeneratin and grwth rather than n punishment has garnered wrldwide attentin. Its unique apprach and innvative prgrams help inmates t develp a sense f autnmy, self-respect and interrelatedness with thers, bth within the prisn and in the surrunding cmmunity. A chice f prgrams enables inmates t acquire skills and training that prepare them fr wrk after their release, as well as invlves them in a psitive way with their immediate envirnment, such as: Ort delle Meraviglie (Garden f Marvels), a small rganic farm within the prisn grunds, where inmates cultivate vegetables fr their wn cnsumptin and fr sale in lcal Venetian markets; The prduce frm the garden als is used in the prisn s prductin f health and beauty prducts which are sld in the Giudecca-Venice cmmunity and beynd An atelier fr artisanal tailring within the prisn prduces a line f hand-crafted wmen s clthing as well as cstumes fr the Teatr La Fenice, the renwned Venetian pera huse And perhaps mst striking is the way the arts theater, literary, and visual arts are incrprated int the inmates prgrams, encuraging their engagement in challenging prjects, and expressing and explring their candid respnses. a crwdfunding and fundraising prject 3
Diary f a Yung Bat by AM Hch art and cntext In recent years, writers and film directrs have met with inmates f Casa di Reclusine Femminile della Giudecca, stimulating dialgue and mutual discvery; this reciprcity is an essential aspect f AM Hch s installatin and perfrmance prject in the Giudecca Prisn. The imprtant rle art can play in prisns prviding pprtunities fr self-reflectin, transfrmatin and grwth is a subject f natinal and internatinal interest. The authentic rapprt AM Hch has already begun t establish with the inmates and prisn administratrs at Casa di Reclusine Femminile della Giudecca cnfirms the mutual understanding and exchange that can exist between artists and thse incarcerated. AM HOCH, Weird Triptych fr a Yung Bat with Text, mixed media; 16.4 x 9.5 ft,, 177 x 215 cm, 2013 a crwdfunding and fundraising prject 4
Diary f a Yung Bat by AM Hch cntent and cntext Using her metis (μῆτις) the archetypal frce within each f us that enables us t free urselves frm ur mst difficult dilemmas the Yung Bat transcends the rdinary limits f time and space. The Diary reveals in visual imagery and wry, cded strytelling what is nrmally hidden frm view: the sexual vilence against yung girls. a crwdfunding and fundraising prject 5
Diary f a Yung Bat by AM Hch cncept and cntext In a scenari familiar t survivrs f abuse, the incarcerated becme invisible, bth physically and in the cllective cnsciusness f the wrld utside even when the prisn ppulatin expands t epidemic prprtins, as in the United States. In the installatin and perfrmance f Diary f a Yung Bat in the Wmen s Prisn f Giudecca-Venice, the usual psitins f privilege, visibility, and cnnectedness are inverted: the firsthand experience f the artwrk is primarily allwed nly t the inmates; the utside general public will experience it nly thrugh secndary mediums, such as phtgraphs, vide dcumentaries, remte vide installatins (hidden in discreet sites in public lcatins in Venice and Giudecca), and accunts f the inmates. This irnic twist calling int questin ur ntins f inside and utside, and ur awareness f the realities that are embedded within ur wrld yet hidden frm ur perceptins adds an imprtant cnceptual level t the The Diary. The general public will view the artwrk nly thrugh windws f srts viscerally and cnceptually experiencing a wrld usually utside their awareness. This experience f the The Diary is uncannily fitting t its cntent. AM Hch, Ccn Bat; secnd level f castle twer in Bagnara di Rmagna: mixed media including painted mirrr; 14.4ft (H) x 21.2 ft (Diam); 2011 a crwdfunding and fundraising prject 6
Diary f a Yung Bat by AM Hch the Yung Bat in Venice Venice, the mst imprbable f cities where the line between the pssible and the impssible blur is fr this reasn ne f the mst prbable places fr the Diary f a Yung Bat t materialize. Fr many, Venice represents living testimny that thrugh the pwers f imaginatin and intentin, the miraculus can materialize. This city, where rdinary lgic is suspended, prvides the perfect setting fr The Diary : The tenuus rigging f memry and language, perceptin and imaginatin that hlds a life tgether has always been the surce f fascinatin fr me perhaps because my wn rigging has always seemed particularly precarius. In Diary f a Yung Bat, imaginary bats becme mdels f the impssibly delicate messiness f being Fr me, a self can t be described by a slid mass with a distinct beginning and end, but rather it is a mysteriusly balanced system f weights and frces a mesmerizing tangle f idisyncrasies and yearnings and questins. AM Hch In 2017, the Venice Biennale f Cntemprary Art will cincide with AM Hch s installatin prject, ffering a symblic bridge between Venetian citizens, Venice Biennale visitrs and the Giudecca Prisn fr Wmen, while prviding a ptential surce f stimulatin, insight and dialg fr the inmates and prisn persnnel. a crwdfunding and fundraising prject 7
Diary f a Yung Bat by AM Hch excerpt f text EXCERPT FROM THE DIARY : Last night, the Dg gave a lecture abut aerdynamics. My sister asked him smething like Hw d airplanes stay up and he started ging int this whle lng explanatin, like he always des if yu re stupid enugh t ask him smething. I persnally haven t asked a questin since the end f fifth grade and I really wish my sister wuld stp t. I mean, even if I want the salt, I just wait fr smene else t ask fr it. It can take a while, but I dn t mind. That s because it became clear t me that it was ESSENTIAL that [my father] never hear my vice again r see the inside f my muth. In fact, the thught that he might ever catch even a glimpse f my teeth filled me with such nausea, that I culd barely ever eat. My mther says that s why I m s small because I never eat she says I ve stunted my grwth. AM Hch, excerpt frm Entry 4, Diary f a Yung Bat a crwdfunding and fundraising prject 8
Diary f a Yung Bat by AM Hch cllateral events In additin t the main installatin and perfrmance f the Diary f a Yung Bat at Casa di Reclusine Femminile della Giudecca, the fllwing parallel events are intended: An exhibitin, in a Venetian venue, in cnjunctin with the 2017 Venice Biennale f Cntemprary Art, that will include anther installatin frm the Yung Bat series, alng with pht dcumentatin f the three pieces permanently installed at the prisn The screening f a vide dcumentary f the step-by-step develpment f the prject at the prisn; Three tiny vide mnitrs shwing three distinct vide lps related t the The Diary will be imbedded in three discreet lcatins in Giudecca and/r n the main island f Venice, prviding windws int the usually invisible wrld f the inmates. Fr previus examples f AM Hch s use f hidden vides t reveal inner wrlds in her installatins, g t: interstices installatin at the Alice Austen Huse Museum, New Yrk City Descriptin and New Yrk Times review Dcumentary vide f Mitsis: Frmatin f Daughter Cells at the Beall Center fr Art and Technlgy, Irvine, Califrnia a crwdfunding and fundraising prject 9
Diary f a Yung Bat by AM Hch further prject develpments AM HOCH, Yung Bat (Future Reflectin Sister Past), installatin at SetUp Art Fair 2015, Blgna, Italy; apprx 130 x 240 cm, (51 x 94.5 in.), 2015 Publicatin f The Diary f a Yung Bat, as a literary text, first in Italian translatin fr the inmates at the Wmen s Prisn in Giudecca-Venice, and ultimately in bilingual (English/Italian) editin; Radi play versin f the The Diary bradcast in its entirety (in Italian and/r in English); Urban interventins f The Diary in Blgna, Italy, and cities in the USA (fr example, Clumbus, Ohi), accmpanied by vide and phtgraphic dcumentatin f the varius phases f the prjects; Additinal installatins and/r perfrmances in ther wmen s prisns in Eurpe and/r the US; Grup exhibitins, including internatinal phtgraphers invited t dcument the Diary f a Yung Bat a crwdfunding and fundraising prject 10
Diary f a Yung Bat by AM Hch prject bjectives The key bjectives f this prject are t: AM HOCH, Gne; mixed media, apprx 98.5 inches (h) x 39.5 in. (w) x 36 in. (d), (250cm x 125cm x 100cm x 91 cm), 2010/11 install three pieces frm the Diary f a Yung Bat in Casa di Reclusine Femminile della Giudecca, a cntext f internatinal relevance curated by the renwned Prfessr Silvia Evangelisti encurage the ntins f metamrphsis and transfrmatin thrugh intrspectin and self-awareness in the inmates and persnnel f the Giudecca Wmen s Prisn; directly invlve a number f interested inmates in the varius phases f the prject, such as preliminary discussins leading t the permanent installatin and the dramatic perfrmances f The Diary within the prisn make permanently available t the inmates and persnnel f the prisn three site-specific art installatins as ptential surces f resilience, stimulatin and catharsis in everyday life; publish and disseminate the text bth in Italian and in English t the inmates (ptentially spurring interest in language studies ffered); develp and implement a prject cmmunicatin campaign designed t enhance, disseminate and share this experience at The Wmen s Prisn f Giudecca-Venice as a pssible mdel fr further prjects; fcus attentin n cntexts f vilence and explitatin, particularly against wmen and girls; disseminate the ideals and practices f the Giudecca Prisn as a prttype fr prisn refrm, sharing aspects f the inmates everyday life with Venetians and the internatinal audience f the Venice Biennale f Cntemprary Art. a crwdfunding and fundraising prject 11
Diary f a Yung Bat by AM Hch artist s pstscript Artist s nte : There is a line frm the 13th-century Sufi pet Rumi that I carry within me ever since I first read it decades ag: Frm the mment yu came int this wrld, a ladder was placed in frnt f yu that yu might escape. AM HOCH, Yung Girl n a Ladder, painted mirrr n ladder, apprx 75 in. x 15.75 in., (190cm x 40 cm), 2011 My sister chse it as the epitaph fr her early grave; fr me, it culd be an epigraph fr the Diary f a Yung Bat in fact, rpes and ladders are recurring elements in the installatins and text. AM Hch a crwdfunding and fundraising prject 12
Diary f a Yung Bat by AM Hch bi AM Hch (a.k.a. Amy Htch) has exhibited her paintings and interdisciplinary installatins cmbining painting, sculpture, riginal text, and digital technlgies in museums and galleries in the United States and Eurpe, including: Yung Bat (Future Reflectin Sister Past), a Special Prject installatin fr SetUp Art Fair 2015, Blgna, Italy; a live bradcast f excerpts (in Italian) f The Diary frm Blgna s Radi Città del Cap frm Casa dei Pensieri Libreria fr the natinal Festa dell Unità; Diary f a Yung Bat in Three Mvements, a site-specific installatin with live narratr at Cartleria 18 Scietà Cperativa, Blgna, Italy; an installatin at Labratri degli Angeli, Blgna; Metamrfsi di una barca, a site-specific installatin in the Muse del Castell, Bagnara di Rmagna, Italy; Mitsis: Frmatin f Daughter Cells, an interdisciplinary installatin, cmmissined and exhibited by the Beall Center fr Art and Technlgy, in Irvine, Califrnia, and later adapted fr the Galleria Civica d Arte Mderna, Splet, Italy; interstices, a sitespecific installatin at the Alice Austen Huse Museum, New Yrk; I keep frgetting it s nt wrking, a site-specific installatin at the Kunsthaus Tacheles, Berlin, Germany. Sl painting exhibitins include ne-persn shws at Deutsches Haus, Clumbia University, New Yrk City; and LaMama La Galleria, NYC. Cntact Infrmatin In Italy: Pala Abruzzese, cmmunicatins directr pala.abruz@gmail.cm In the USA: Amy Hch email: hch.amy@gmail.cm website: www.amhch.cm Ms. Hch has received numerus grants thrughut her career, including: an artistin-residency frm Alts De Chavn, in the Dminican Republic; a prject grant frm the State Senate in Berlin, Germany; tw Gttlieb emergency grants. She was a research artist at the Newhuse Center fr Cntemprary Art, Snug Harbr Museum, New Yrk. Ms. Hch received a large-scale cmmissin frm the Beall Center fr Art and Technlgy t launch their 2004 seasn. In 2014, AM Hch was awarded a generus grant frm the Pllck-Krasner Fundatin. Brn in New Yrk City, where she lived and wrked fr twenty-three years, AM Hch currently splits her time between Blgna, Italy, and Clumbus, Ohi. a crwdfunding and fundraising prject 13