“When Flowers Are Kneeling” sheds light on the often neglected migrant communities in Switzerland, their history of immigration, the influence of colonial structures, as well as the weight of assimilation and social integration. It is a work that speaks of life journeys, between precariousness and possibility, personal determination and external influences, stigma and exot- icism, between present time and memories; impressive encounters and multifaceted communities, but also the artist’s own fragmented story.

During a research trip these past months, Jerlyn Heizen spent time taking notes, uncovering old-forgotten notebooks, documenting and rediscovering the sound of her own story in the Upper Valais, where she partly grew up as well as stories of Asian migrant communities in the US. These she transformed into two large-scale ceramic puzzles accompanied by respective soundscapes. These two puzzles scattered across the two rooms are part of a series of oversized ceramic puzzles that Jerlyn Heinzen started in 2022. They create a space that invites people to come together, to perform a common activity, to have an exchange and to assemble individual pieces into a larger whole.
With this collective yet very personal work, Jerlyn Heinzen highlights the heritage of Asian migrant communities, focusing on their life stories and collective and individual memories.

Exhibition Text PDF