Jiaming You's 'Murmuration' at THE BLANC Explores Migration, Memory, and Mobility Justice

Right now, Jiaming You has an exhibition called Murmuration at THE BLANC in New York. It creates a unique atmosphere of collective movement, showcasing painted wooden birds that form a flock, spreading across the walls and floating near the lit windows. The title references how starlings gather at dusk in autumn and winter, moving gracefully together. You drew inspiration from her father's fMRI scans and distant galaxies, especially after his medical emergency made her rethink what home means. The exhibit also features tinted acrylic pieces with excerpts from a 1975 letter by social worker Bernie Lo, who wanted to visit a sick relative in Hong Kong, alongside mirrored acrylic birds that include fragments of a thirteenth-century Chinese celestial chart. The window displays challenge the usual inside-outside dynamic, allowing for a sense of expansiveness through glass, bird-shaped cutouts, and nebula imagery. This exhibition delves into sociologist Mimi Sheller's concept of mobility justice, looking into the factors that affect how people can move around. Xumeng Zhang wrote the review.