Ani Tu, Ani Tam (Neither Here nor There)
Textile Installation - Dry Goods Gallery, Windsor, ON

The exhibition “Ani Tu Ani Tam” (Neither Here nor There) for Dry Goods Gallery merges my family’s immigrant experience from Czechoslovakia with the history of the automotive industry in Ford City and Windsor. The work features a series of tapestries, crafted by collaging textiles inspired by traditional Slovak costumes, and juxtaposed with my dad’s analog auto drawings, visualizing industrial materials like engine parts, heat shields, and machine elements.

The exhibition reflects the shared history of Ford City and Drouillard Road, where the St. Cyril Slovak Centre is located, across from the Ford Engine Plant. I collaborated with the Windsor Slovak Domovina Dance Group, which my sister is a prominent member of, using elements of their costumes and dance to enhance cultural significance.

The theme of "Liminality" is explored through the immigrant experience—caught in-between cultures, never fully belonging to either. "In-Between the Other," or "Ani tu, ani tam" ("Neither here, nor there") captures this tension. The work highlights the contrast between the industrial, patina'd elements of the automotive industry and the intricate, decorative, ornamental nature of Slovak folklore, symbolizing the cultural dichotomy experienced by immigrants.