TANU
Hana Yoo

ARTIST STATEMENT

A mystical being emerges from the depths of the river and sea, traversing the monumental landscapes of the city. In response to a controversial proposal by a far- right politician advocating for the privatization of the sea and whales under the guise of “saving” them, the Tanu´s project manifests slow resistance against extractivism and potential ecocide.

Tanu is re-imagined figure inspired by spiritual rite of Selk’nam, an indigenous group from southern Patagonia(Tierra del Fuego). They were known to deeply connect with cetaceans, especially because finding a stranded whale conveys their temporary settlement and therefore a new generation. They are now considered extinct as a tribe, due to gold mining and the excessive farming in the 20th Century which led to genocide of the Selk´nam.

Tanu‘s path eventually intersects with Malón de la Paz (Peace Incursion), an indigenous sit-in protest group from northwestern Argentina, Jujuy and Salta. This region is marked by large-scale lithium mining operations that have inflicted severe environmental contamination. Their 77 years of fight to reclaim their land continues with the spirit of Pachamama.

The narrative rewinds through five posters, portraying Tanu‘s emergence as if it were an activist leaflet, yet revealing their binary points. The sixth poster takes inspiration from a poem by Kim Hye Sun (South Korea, 1955), turning a political voice into an imaginative space, exploring spheres between art and activism.