More than 125 handblown and tear-shaped glass vessels are now hanging in pride of place at The Goat Farm and presented by Flux Projects. Created by Korean American artist Gyun Hur in response to the rise in Asian hate crimes during the pandemic, the exhibit represents her devotion to producing poetic artwork centered around community healing.
“Our mothers, our water, our peace” is the second major project Hur has completed in partnership with Flux Projects and represents a continuation of their project FLOW, a multi-year exploration of Atlanta’s waterways. The works presented in this series consider the ways in which we engage with water, their overlapping histories, and imagining potential futures. Topics such as conservation and equity are explored and presented via installations and performances juxtaposed with urban design.
“Since our first project with Gyun, the hallmarks of her practice were clear, like her exquisite craftsmanship and enduring commitment to telling stories in works imbued in resilience and beauty,” said Anne Archer Dennington, Executive Director of Flux Projects.
“She’s had so much artistic growth and success over the years, and it’s an honor to bring her back for an Atlanta audience to experience ‘Our mothers, our waters, our peace,’ as she explores residual grief and trauma and redefines narratives for future generations.”
Installed last weekend at and on view through March 30, the exhibit’s timing correlates with the fourth anniversary of the 2021 Atlanta Spa Shootings. This installment represents the culmination of a two-year project with Flux Projects. A musical score by Hahn Rowe accompanies the installation.
In 2024, Hur began installing glass vessels in public and private spaces among Asian American communities. Holding local river or creek water, the vessels create a communal site of reflection and healing for all those who spend time with the installation.
“Our mothers, our water, our peace” inspires conversations around intergenerational work and healing, and artist Nicole Kang Ahn has served as a community liaison to coordinate installations in offices at Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta, the Asian American Advocacy Fund, the Lawrenceville Arts Center, and the Alliance Theatre’s Hertz Stage.
Additionally, a dozen individual Asian American family homes have hosted the traveling display.
Photo by Chengyourlife Media.
“I have been moved by the Atlanta Asian communities’ openness to share their stories of resilience and love through this project,” said Hur. Through abstracted and figural installations, drawings, performances, and writings, she seeks to consider the stories, rituals, and spirituality that mark our humanity and unite us through beauty and grief.
Based in New York, Hur is an interdisciplinary artist and educator who pulls inspiration from her experiences as a first-generation immigrant. Hur moved with her family to Atlanta at the age of 13, later studying painting and sculpture at the University of Georgia and the Savannah College of Art and Design. She’s now Assistant Professor of Fine Arts at The New School’s Parsons School of Design.
This exhibit is presented and funded by Flux Projects, and is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, an Arnold Form Fellowship, The New School, and Perennial Properties.
“Our mothers, our waters, our peace” will remain on view for two weeks at The Goat Farm, and Flux Projects’ free public programming includes performances, workshops, and artist talks.
This weekend, join the artist Gyun Hur for two artist talks at noon and 2 p.m. on Sat., March 22. On the same day, at 5 p.m., the Asian American Community Archive Initiative will host a zine-making workshop with musical accompaniment by Sister Sai.
For a full list of programming, check out the Flux Projects website.
