We are not passive
We are resilient
We are not the same
We are unified
In the 2020 discourse surrounding the Asian American community, we noticed the omission of a critical aspect of our history: Resistance. The constant portrayal of our victimhood paralyzes us with pessimism. Not A Monolith documents the countless instances when we were defiant against acts of violence, colonialism, racial profiling, white supremacy, and other forms of hate. We hope to find our agency as individuals to strengthen and amplify the voices of our community.
Not A Monolith is an installation by the undergraduate class of 2021 from RISD’s Department of Interior Architecture and showcased at Woods-Gerry Gallery. We invited the public to participate in this installation by contributing their own perspectives and helping us create a living record of our persistent resilience.
Project Timeline:
March 2021 - May 2021
Interior Architecture Cohort:
Julie Chan, Mallika Kanodia, Hajin Shin, Chloe Yu
Academic Advisors:
Markus Berger, Sanah Rao
Promotional poster made with Adobe Illustrator + Rhinoceros 3D
Special thanks to Markus Berger, Sanah Rao, Wendy Abelson, Hasan Askari, and many others for their time and support in the making of this installation