Xavier Cortada, “Genetic Markers: Ancestral Journeys across the Asian Continent / Haplogroup R, Varanasi,” 2009 (Val David, Quebec).

Using a Quebec forest’s trees as geographic markers of present-day nations, Miami artist Xavier Cortada installed 20 flags depicting the route the first wave of humans took out of Africa across the Asian coastline to Australia and beyond. Inspired by the field work of FIU geneticist Dr. Rene Herrera, who uses DNA testing to research early human migration, Cortada color-coded the flags to depict the genetic Haplogroup in the majority of each country’s population.

The installation invites the descendants of those who carved a path through the wilderness 60,000 years ago to re-enter the forest and retrace their ancestors’ path as they populated the planet in response to nature.

Quebec Installation Curator: Pascale Beaudet, the curator for the summer 2009 Fondation Derouin Symposium: Paths and Traces in Val David, Canada, invited Xavier Cortada to create his installation, “Genetic Markers: Ancestral Journeys across the Asian Continent.”

Artists:

Patricia and Philip FROST ART MUSEUM

Florida International University

Miami, FL

PUBLIC OPENING DATE
March 9, 2010 (Tuesday open to public)

RECEPTION
March 24, 2010 (Wednesday)

PUBLIC CLOSING DATE
April 18, 2010 (Sunday)