Che Yeh

Interstitial Lives is a socially engaged project that speculates on the inter-species intimacy between Ailanthus Altissima trees and East Asian immigrants. Through tracing the material histories of the plant, whose role oscillates between an “invasive species”, a traditional remedy, and a horticultural tree, the project examines the mobility and immobility of people and plants and the racialized rhetoric around disease control. The project will be materialized in the form of a multimedia installation that includes scent, sounds, moving images, and ephemeral sculptural objects. Using the installation as a site for community gatherings, I will facilitate multiple moxibustion-inspired herbal healing events for East Asian community members of different ages in Boston. Website: www.cheyeh.com Instagram: @che.yeh