BITTER SALT
by Sara Rodriguez, June Deng, and He Yutian
March 19, 2015 – April 11, 2015
HDR’s installation Bitter Salt explores how reflections can change the way a space is perceived. The title of the installation comes from the etymology of the word “aluminum,” which is derived from the Latin word “alum,” meaning “bitter salt.” Using materials such as aluminum foil and emergency blankets, the installation creates flexible mirrors that result in a sense of infinity. Bitter Salt is an immersive cave-like space rendered flat by misleading reflections. By obscuring the edges of the room and extending beyond the dimensions of the gallery, the physical boundaries of the white cube become imperceptible.
Hailing from Guatemala, Singapore and China, HDR is a trio of female architecture students consisting of Sara Rodriguez, He Yutian, and June Deng. Their friendship began in the fall of 2011, in the heat of Houston at the Rice School of Architecture. There, they realized that the synergy of their different skill sets could create compelling art. Constantly collaborating to keep their ideas fresh and innovative, they have embarked on numerous adventures together such as pretending to be howler monkeys in Tikal, brainstorming about urban farming in an abandoned Singaporean biscuit factory, and collaborating on architecture studio projects in Argentina.
Dedicated to Vivian Guan, an amazing young woman who inspired us to make this happen.
