‘When Difference Becomes Racism’

The concept this installation aims to embody is that of racism amongst young children, how it begins and where adults have the opportunity to intervene and educate, however, are missing that opportunity because they do not know how to respond to confronting statements regarding race and culture. 

It aims to explore the notion of difference and at what point it becomes racism. Children start noticing differences and discrepancies at an incredibly young age. They begin to notice a difference in colour of hair, skin and features. They notice how certain people are treated differently even amongst adults and can see the struggle some have - the fact that they walk too and from school, don't have a car, fancy lunch box, shoes or school bag.  They realise their favourite childhood storybooks and movies don't feature any “different” people and while children try to make sense of all these notions and the world around them no one is talking about it with them. 

Adults don't often discuss or point out the positives of other cultures and children are able to sense an awkwardness and unnatural reaction from adults when confronted with questions and statements regarding race. Due to all these factors combined with a lack of communication children begin to formulate their own uneducated theories as to why they are different, thus sparking a trend of racial discrimination. 

The installation is comprised of two heads situated on their own stands. An adult head painted grey as this colour is a transition between two non-colours, it is indecisive and is therefore used to symbolise the confusion and lack of confidence within the adult. The child's head is painted yellow to symbolise their childlike intrigue and inquisitive nature. Yellow is an excellent colour for drawing attention, so as well as symbolising the emotions of the child, it creates hierarchy within the installation as your attention is drawn to the child first. Out of the child's mouth flows a paper waterfall of handwritten questions and statements regarding race, culture and difference that can easily be read by the viewer standing in close proximity to the sculpture. These questions and statements are targeted towards people who make up the visible minority as our research showed that within Australia, the most targeted demographic for racism includes Aboriginal people and those from a non-English speaking background, particularly Muslims and Middle Easterners. Some of the paper strands are manipulated to enter the adult's ears thus symbolising they can hear everything the child is saying. From the adult's mouth flows a waterfall of blank paper that symbolises a non-existence of acknowledgement and discussion. The back of the adults head has been left uncovered and filled with strands of paper that depict thoughts of uncertainty and confusion to symbolise not knowing how to respond to the questions and statements they can clearly hear. The colour red is linked to feelings of anxiety, hence why red is used depict these thoughts. The use of shredded paper to aid in communicating the message of this installation was inspired by artists Jacqueline Rush Lee and Nicci Haynes - more specifically the work in the Finnegans Wake project by Nicci Haynes. Their abstract use of books challenges the way we think about how a book or story ought to look. 

In order to begin to break the cycle of racism, adults need to be open and educated themselves; making conscious decisions to lead with example and have an open conversation with their children in order to broaden their horizons and educate them on culture, race and difference.