LIVING IN AMERICA

LIVING IN AMERICA is a new installation by filmmaker and visual artist Miriam Kruishoop. In her work, MK focuses on people and their stories. Using their narrative to amplify the conversation about the 'invisible' people in our society. Having lived in the US for over a decade, MK has been influenced by her surroundings and American society at large—the disparity and the deliberate suppression of minorities, police brutality, and racism. MK’s passion for exploring the cultural narratives in America spans a diverse set of creative genres. For example, in her film "Greencard Warriors," she focused on the issue of army recruitment of young undocumented Latinos. 

For LIVING IN AMERICA, video is used to help connect us to the unique experience of being black in America. For the video installation, which was shot in high definition at 200 fames per second, Miriam collaborated with Niaya Jones, an 18-year-old African American girl from Nickerson Gardens, Watts. Nickerson Gardens is considered the poorest and toughest project in south central Los Angeles. Niaya Jones (aka BOSSLADY) is a prominent 'krumping' dancer from the area. Miriam and Niaya developed a dance choreography in which Niaya tells her story what it's like to be a Gen Z teen growing up in the 'hood'. Through dance, Niaya helps us experience the pain she felt when her best friend got shot by police right behind her home. Each movement captures the sadness that she has felt through many hardships, including not being able to meet her father who has been incarcerated most of her life(his first trial hearing is in 2032).

For LIVING IN AMERICA, Ferri Ronteltap composed a special version for the mediawand. The original version, a single image, was edited to a trilogy.