On September 24th in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota the SEAD Project in collaboration with the Museum of American Art will debut 1.5 A Southeast Asian Diaspora Remix featuring the art of Southeast Asian Americans from across the United States. Featured artists include Sisavanh Phouthavong Houghton, Chantala Kommanivanh, Van Hai, Xee Reiter, Aloun Phoulavan, Kat Eng, Leyen Trang, and Christina Sayaovong Vang.
According to the organizers, “1.5 is a feeling, concept, truth, and tunnel. It’s a reflection of the unspoken boundaries in the past, present, and future for the Southeast Asian diaspora. 1.5 describes those who arrived on American soil as children, their complex and complicated displacement, and the fragments of their memories and dreams by a selection of artists who are either 1.5 or their descendants.” The exhibit arrives in time for the 45th anniversary of the Southeast Asian diaspora.
The Minnesota Museum of American Art (MMAA), founded as the St. Paul School of Fine Arts in 1894, has been housed in many St. Paul locations throughout its history. It is presently located in Downtown Saint Paul at the Pioneer Endicott Building.
Founded in 2011, The SEAD Project gathers Southeast Asians who want to connect with their roots and heritage and also to think bigger and beyond preservation. They’re growing a diaspora movement to rethink and reimagine and reshape what’s possible. Their approach considers sustainable community development and growth for a thriving community, once that features a pivoted focus on empowering Southeast Asian leaders, women and young people. Since 2015, SEAD has been a legally recognized 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and a satellite office in Vientiane, Laos.
1.5: Southeast Asian Diaspora Remix will be displayed in the M’s window and skyway facing spaces, and opens September 24th. During opening week, SEAD will be hosting a virtual launch party on opening day, September 24, and a scattered zine pick up that weekend, September 26. It will continue until January 3, 2021.
Learn more about the exhibit, event schedule, and digital library at theseadproject.org/onepointfive.
