March 29, 2019 in Shanghai, China
Yaye Kassamali and Harrison Thane’s show Snake Pit draws its inspiration from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novella “Le Petit Prince”. In one scene of this beloved text, the narrator draws a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. However, when gazing at the illustration, “big people” can only see a hat.
Juxtaposed alongside this ostensible children’s narrative are the roots of this show, which situate themselves at another crossroads. When scanning the braids in her hair, Kassamali discerned the origins of something altogether more naturalistic and untamed. At the heart of these layers of (mis)understanding is the snake, a mythologized creature that is a source of both sin and catharsis in our modern jungle.
Using a range of mixed media, the artists invite participants to recall and reconnect with their inner child, and to recover the sense of wonderment and play that is innate and infinite in their younger selves.
