Digital Homage to Smithson's Passaic Monuments Explores Ruins and Translation
In 2015, photographer Jason Fulford teamed up with writer Hernán Díaz to develop Monument, a multimedia photo essay for The Kadist Foundation, drawing inspiration from Robert Smithson's 1967 piece, 'A Tour of the Monuments of Passaic, New Jersey.' Curator Joseph del Pesco spearheaded the initiative, prompting Fulford to travel to Passaic for a photography project. Fulford's visuals highlight connections within vernacular culture, while Díaz's writing explores both visual and abstract dimensions. The project features a pharmacy façade, bilingual voiceovers in Spanish and English, and Morse code that spells out 'SOMETHINGUNTRANSLATABLE.' Monument serves as a digital book, providing an interactive experience that challenges traditional online art and examines the influence of modern digital technology on concepts of time and space.
Key facts
- Monument is a 2015 online multimedia photo essay by Jason Fulford and Hernán Díaz
- Curator Joseph del Pesco from The Kadist Foundation commissioned the project
- Inspired by Robert Smithson's 1967 essay 'A Tour of the Monuments of Passaic, New Jersey'
- Features photographs from Passaic, New Jersey, and text in a translational loop
- Includes Morse code that translates to 'SOMETHINGUNTRANSLATABLE'
- Presented on The Kadist Foundation's website without skeuomorphic designs
- References Samuel F.B. Morse's telegraph and its historical impact
- Questions the concept of ruins in the digital age
Entities
Artists
- Robert Smithson
- Jason Fulford
- Hernán Díaz
- Joseph del Pesco
- Samuel F.B. Morse
Institutions
- The Kadist Foundation
- Artforum
Locations
- New York City
- Passaic
- New Jersey
- San Francisco
- United States