Canal Projects is pleased to present Snailing (Slippy slimy slug slut), the first solo institutional show in New York by Korean-born, Berlin-based artist Anne Duk Hee Jordan. Duk Hee’ work is known for exploring the adverse effects of technology on nature and its impact on humanity’ connection to the planet, Duk Hee transforms Canal Projects into an immersive installation centering the world of the famous snail, Jeremy, and their quest to find a compatible mate.
Jeremy was a garden snail with a rare sinistral condition where their shell coiled to the left, rather than the right, as a vast majority of snail shells do. As snails have a one-year lifespan and mate face-to-face, sliding past each other on the right side so their genitals can meet, Jeremy’ rare shell made it difficult to procreate. This tragic love story led the researchers studying Jeremy to embark upon an international search to find them a mate, succeeding shortly before he passed away in 2017.
Having both male and female reproductive organs, snails possess electromagnetic abilities to have sex and telepathic abilities to exchange their thoughts and feelings. Taking Jeremy’ story and the unique qualities of snail sexuality as their subject, Duk Hee, who identifies as non-binary, continues an artistic exploration of “ex ecologies,”pushing against western, patriarchal norms of sexual understanding to highlight the exuberant sexual possibilities and survival strategies of the more-than-human world. Jeremy’ journey from isolation to finding a mate is paralleled by moments of kinship that arise between human visitors and robotic snails that Duk Hee has arranged in various snail habitats throughout the exhibition.
Inspired by Jeremy’ quest for partnership, Duk Hee’ immersive environment serves as a reflection upon his extraordinary life and exercises the promise of interspecies knowledge building. Upon entering Canal Projects, visitors will encounter areas where human and snail habitats merge. Long columns of curtains arranged like the spiral of a snail’ shell create enclosures filled with salad-leaf pillows and carpets, live plants, and robotic snails. The installation is accompanied by three songs written by Duk Hee and composed by musician Sasha Perera that collage together scientific facts about Jeremy sourced from the internet, which visitors are encouraged to listen to as they lay in the rest areas. Duk Hee invites us to slow down and experience life at a snail’ pace, promoting a sense of shared existence and mutual care.
Festival 27 September - 07 December 2024. Canal Projects, Ground Level, 351 Canal St - New York, NY 10013 (United States). Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 12–6pm
