The Drift of the Dispossessed 2024
In "The Drift of the Dispossessed", Heydt presents a haunting and evocative portrait of a woman, shoulder-deep in water, her body suspended in a state of limbo. This work is a powerful commentary on the experiences of displacement, marginalization, and erasure that are faced by countless individuals around the world and a testament to the resilience and strength of those who have been forced to navigate the treacherous waters of displacement and marginalization. The water, which could be seen as a symbol of life and renewal, is instead portrayed as a force of oppression, weighing heavily on the woman's body. The surface of the water, which is often associated with clarity and transparency, is instead turbulent and opaque, reflecting the chaos and uncertainty of the dispossessed. The work sheds light on the experiences of those who have been marginalized and forgotten.
Skulls and Bones 2024
Heydt's assemblage "Skulls and bones" is an immersive mixed-reality artwork that examines humanity's impact through industry, economics, and conflict. Constructed from found natural and man-made materials, the work incorporates augmented reality to overlay historical data and projections related to topics like war casualties, climate change consequences, and resource depletion. The layered digital experience aims to provoke by revealing invisible connections between mankind's actions and the planet's deteriorating state, encouraging reflections on how to establish a more sustainable future.
Note: The text above was written by the Artist. No modification was made by COCA.
Sam HEYDT
United States
Visual artist Sam HEYDT (b.1986, NYC) has lived/worked in Paris, Venice, Amsterdam, Athens, Buenos Aires, Sydney, Reykjavík, Udaipur, and Vienna. Her academic career traversed Parsons School of Design, Cooper Union, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Universidad of Buenos Aires and La Sorbonne; further she has attended artist residencies in Iceland, Australia and New Zealand. She is both the founder and director of Jane Street Studio, L.L.C., a creative agency in business since 2012, as well as KITSCH, a gallery and concept store launched in 2020. As a published author, producer, and lifelong social activist and environmentalist, Heydt anchors her practice in advocacy. Working across mediums, Heydt employs a range of recycled materials, often reinventing and trespassing their associative use. Marrying images of destruction with portrayals of the American Dream, her work confronts the disillusionment of our time with the ecological and existential nightmare it is responsible for.