Sydney Shen’s exhibition “Strange But True” at the Queens Museum invites visitors to delve into an unconventional archive experience. Shen’s installation transforms the space with keyhole-shaped portals leading to a realm of historical ephemera and information. The platforms are adorned with collages of altered images and documents, each marked with pins and footnotes, evoking a sense of academic inquiry and cartographic exploration.
Accompanying each figure on the platforms is an audio clip narrated by Shen, providing historical context or primary quotations. Shen’s distorted voice guides the audience through the exhibition, offering fragmented glimpses into the museum’s past as the former New York City Building at the 1939–40 World’s Fair. The audio clips and images blur boundaries between violence, entertainment, and knowledge, shedding light on the history of photography and medical exhibitions.
One focal point of Shen’s archive is the story of Chang and Eng Bunker, conjoined twins who were exhibited as medical oddities in the United States. Shen’s portrayal of the Bunkers explores how their lives intersected with oppressive societal norms, highlighting the complexities of their humanity and the ways their bodies were objectified.
Shen’s exhibition features sculptural elements like an oversized key, magnifying glass, and pencil, adding whimsical touches to the immersive experience. Digital screens displaying extreme close-ups of goosebumps offer a technological contrast to Shen’s material archive, tying into themes of emotions and desire explored throughout the installation.
By mapping out historical knowledge through her unique archival practice, Shen prompts viewers to reconsider the evolution of facts and narratives. Her exploration of the power dynamics inherent in knowledge creation resonates in an era marked by skepticism towards established truths. Shen’s exhibition serves as a thought-provoking reminder of the complexities and violence embedded in the construction of knowledge.
Through “Strange But True,” Sydney Shen challenges traditional notions of archives and narratives, inviting audiences to engage with history in a multi-sensory and intellectually stimulating way. Her fusion of visual, auditory, and tactile elements creates a compelling space where the boundaries between reality and fiction blur, prompting reflection on the nature of truth and representation in our contemporary society.
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