Whitney Biennial 2024: Even Better Than the Real Thing

Floor 6

Born 1990 in Los Angeles, CA
Lives in Los Angeles, CA

This work is made primarily from modified amber, a petrified form of tree resin. Eddie Rodolfo Aparicio has noted that he is interested in resin because of its ability to “move nutrients through [a tree’s] body and heal wounds.” Historically amber has been used for jewelry and carved depictions of royalty and deities, but Aparicio uses the material to elevate the history and objects of Central American communities in the United States. The artist often treats amber as a kind of archive, albeit one that rejects the notions of completion and fixity typically associated with that term. In this work he has embedded materials found near his Los Angeles studio, including pigeon wings, branches, and discarded clothing. He has also included documents of efforts by white activists to promote justice in Central America, drawing attention to the complex relationship between privilege and solidarity. Since the chemical structure of the amber has been altered so that it is not completely rigid, the sculpture will change shape over the course of the exhibition as a result of gravity and exposure to ambient light. As it does, the objects within will move, suggesting the ways memory and trauma are held in the body and shift over time.