Isolation * Invitation * Inclusion | Chris Omni
Chris Omni (Tallahassee, FL) | Exchange (Kansas City) | October 2021
Museum collection fabric, lamp, mannequin, clock, chairs, Scrabble pieces, and a plant donated by Guilford Garden Center.
Chris Omni’s piece, “Isolation * Invitation * Inclusion,” is a direct and emotional response to a situation that occurred during her #109 residency. A situation where she was invited into a space, yet still felt the pain of isolation. Since then, Omni has coined this experience as “inclusionary isolation.”
Through a literal escape to the fire escape, a place that is part of the building but is not seen, Omni sat with I-Sis, the only Black mannequin in Elsewhere, and watched the sunset during most nights of her residency. Sitting became a form of resistance; a way to reclaim emotional power.
Omni invites visitors to metaphorically sit with three words - “isolation,” “invitation,” and “inclusion” - and reflect on how they either hold space with others or how others hold space for them. Additionally, Omni invites you to literally have a seat and escape the world for a moment. #PressPause and be with Mother Earth.
