Doris Salcedo
Doris Salcedo’s Shibboleth delves deeply into the concept of borders as psychological, cultural, and physical constructs. The crack in the floor symbolizes the fractures within societies caused by exclusion, prejudice, and displacement. Its uneven edges and unpredictable path evoke the instability of identity and belonging, particularly for those forced to navigate spaces of otherness. Salcedo uses the metaphor of the crack to critique historical and ongoing systems of marginalization that divide humanity, whether through colonialism, immigration policies, or cultural hierarchies. The scar left after the crack was filled is essential to the work’s meaning, as it acknowledges that the trauma of exclusion cannot simply be erased but becomes an indelible mark on collective memory. By embedding these themes in a public space, Salcedo confronts viewers with their own complicity and challenges them to engage with the structures of power that perpetuate these divisions.
Salcedo’s use of material and space to address societal fractures encourages me to think critically about how my own work can embody the themes of displacement, resilience, and the lingering effects of exclusion.