Working at the intersection of art and technology, Taiji Terasaki’s studio practice is imbued with social practice and activism, weaving together a multifaceted project that explores the poetic potential of interconnectedness and multiplicity. Informed by the tumultuous events of the past and the equally intemperate conditions of the present, Terasaki’s aptly titled “Past-Present” (2021) digital lenticular billboard, responds directly to the recent rise in violent hate crimes against the AAPI community, which have surged during the pandemic. Terasaki draws from actual historical events from the 20th and 21st century Asian-American collective memory, uniting the jarring themes of confinement, intimidation, and exile. Employing a 1944 black and white photo of a trio of solemn young boys standing within the confines of a barbed wire fence at the Manzanar, CA, concentration camp, Terasaki superimposes the image with the text “PAST,” which functions as a stark reminder of the harsh government-ordered incarceration that was imposed upon Japanese American citizens, following attacks on Pearl Harbor between the years 1942-44. This image is juxtaposed by a widely circulated image from 2021 of peaceful protestors in Columbus, OH, participating in a candlelit vigil of solidarity and mourning, in the wake of a violent gun attack against Asian female spa workers in Atlanta, GA, which is accompanied by the word “PRESENT.” Both images create a continuous loop, highlighting two fraught and tragic episodes in American history that exist in opposition to the norms and values of any civil society. – Sara Raza, Global Art Curator and Writer, ArtAsiaPacific West and Central Asia Editor

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