Fortuna and the Immortality Garden (Machine)
\nA Respite for the Weary Time-Traveler.
\nFeaturing a Rite of Ancient Intelligence Carried out by The Gardeners
\nToward the Continued Improvement of the Human Specious
\nby
\nKara E-Walker<\/i><\/p>\n
Kara Walker has long been recognized for her incisive examinations of the dynamics of power and the exploitation of race and sexuality. Her work leverages expressions of fantasy and humor to confront troubling histories and dominant narratives, repossessing control in the process. Inspired by a wide range of sources, from antique dolls to Octavia Butler\u2019s novel Parable of the Sower<\/i>, Walker\u2019s new commission, Fortuna and the Immortality Garden (Machine)<\/i>, considers the memorialization of trauma, the objectives of technology, and the possibilities of transforming the negative energies that plague contemporary society. Here, automatons trapped in a never-ending cycle of ritual and struggle are repositories of the human soul. They recall mechanized medieval icons that evidenced divinity, vitality, and the promise of faith. Situated within an energetically charged field of black obsidian from Mt. Konocti in Lake County \u2014 a volcanic glass with deep spiritual properties \u2014 Walker\u2019s Gardeners evoke wonder, reflection, respite, and hope. Just past this prophetic vignette, the installation\u2019s namesake, Fortuna, responds to each visitor with a choreographed gesture and a printed fortune fresh from her mouth \u2014 an offering of absolution and contemplation. <\/p>\n