COTTON
Rubber trees have replaced agricultural land and cotton fields in Southeast Asia, and economic capital and political policies continually affect people's lives and freedoms. Despite changes in the environment that alter living conditions and livelihoods, the connection between humans and land remains close. In the on-site video installation, the footage documents the relationships between cotton, rubber, and life on the land. It is paired with a mixed-media sculpture featuring ten rubber cups, which contain narratives related to cotton; from cotton fibers, spinning, twisting, to weaving, the sculpture gathers the extensions of hand and materials throughout the industry chain. The installation responds to the state of latex collection at the forefront of the rubber industry, interpreting the process and imagery of collecting latex using rubber cups. Inside the cups, cotton Miridae made from notes of American Dollar, Lao Kip, Thai Baht, and Chinese Yuan, are displayed in various poses and actions, responding to the close ties of the cotton and rubber industries in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Laos) with the US and China in terms of land and production, while also telling the relationship between the economy, land, and life, just like the intertwining fibers on a drop spindle that expand the looks and narratives of daily life, once again echoing the life paths of objects depicted in the video.