Susan Kooi on Archaeology, Art, and Grief: A Personal Journey

Artist Susan Kooi reflects on the intersections between archaeology, art, and personal loss. She describes an archaeological excavation of a Ford Transit van by Greg Bailey, Cassie Newland, Anna Nilsson, and John Schofield, which used photos, drawings, video, audio diaries, and interviews to document the object. Kooi draws parallels to her own art practice, exploring how objects carry stories across time. She recounts her studies at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie (Beeld & Taal), residencies at Emily Carr University in Vancouver and in Arita, Japan, and collaborations with scientists at TRIUMF. Kooi discusses her ceramic work, her artist initiative k.i. beyoncé (later renamed Susan Kooi), and her upcoming master's in archaeology at the Universiteit van Amsterdam. She describes creating a reconstruction of a Roman house in Blender, participating in an excavation in Oerle, and dating pottery at the Allard Pierson Museum. Kooi contrasts the poetic approach of the Qianlong emperor, who inscribed a poem on a prehistoric jade bi-disc, with the analytical methods of archaeology. She also mentions her underground space 'the eelpit' and a performance by Cold in Church.